Duane Seeger

Duane Lowell Seeger was born August 31, 1924, to Alice (Schow) and William Seeger on their farm in Norman County. He was baptized in the Wild Rice Church, attended Banner Country School and Twin Valley High School, participated in chorus, played the trombone in pep band, graduated May 29, 1942. On December 30, 1949, Duane married Jewel Mae Becker, daughter of Mildred (Coyle) and Merlin Becker, Mahnomen. They moved to the Seeger farm east of Twin Valley where Duane custom baled and raised potatoes while Jewel raised children to include Debra, Paula, Naomi and Anita (deceased). They purchased a farm SW of Mahnomen close to the Seeger farm where Darrel, Kevin, Nathan, Neal and Scott were born with John and Brenda born following the building of their new home. During these years Duane raised dairy cattle, and grains. He was an active member of the Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Trinity Lutheran Church, and in the local branch of the Aid Association for Lutherans (AAL) working on community service projects. A neighboring farm was purchased from the Slette brothers in the 1980’s. Duane traveled to Russia in 1988 and China in 2000. Duane continued farming until 1982 with the assistance of Kevin who died in a plane crash. Darrel and John also assisted him in farming. Duane was able to semi-retire in 1992 when he and Jewel traveled by motor home before Jewel’s MS symptoms required Duane to provide care for her in their Tulaby Lake home near Waubun. In 1998 Jewel moved into a care facility while Duane lived at Tulaby Lake until heart surgery in 2001. Since then he lived on the farm with John or in Wahpeton with Naomi’s family, where he resided at the time of his death on January 26, 2012 at the St. Francis Medical Center. Duane was described by those who knew him as a Christian, hard working, family man. He was supportive of his children’s educational and career pursuits and took great pride also in his grand and great-grandchildren. Raising a large family required frugality; he honored his family legacy by providing for his descendants. Duane is preceded in death by his wife Jewel, their children Anita and Kevin, son-in-law, Gene Evans, his parents, Alice and William Seeger, all his brothers: Phillip, Richard, Jewell, Allan and both sisters, Janice (Caron) and Carol (Hanson) and his sister and brother-in-law, Esther and Marion Seeger and Robert Caron. Survivors are Debra & Charles Steinbach, Appleton, WI with Andrew, Rachel; Paula & Steven Krogh, Issaquah, WA; Naomi Evans, Wahpeton with Ethan (Abby), Noah, Christopher, Micah, Sarah; Darrel & Sandi, Pelican Rapids with Stefanie (Justin) Costa Rica with Alexis & Mason, Dustin Seeger; Nathan & JoAnne, Dent with Tyler, Jake; Neal & Liz, Detroit Lakes, with Jamie, Ryan, Heidi; Scott, Moorhead with Brandon Failing, Owen (Samantha) with Chase, Alicia (Brad) Knutsen with Alivia; John, Mahnomen with Amanda (Kevin) Lee with Hayley, Landon & Leah, Desirae, Dallas; Brenda & Dan Crane, Crookston with Elizabeth, Caitlin, Madison. Visitation on Sunday, January 29th will begin at 2 PM with prayer service from 3-4 at the Anderson-Mattson Funeral Home in Mahnomen. Funeral services will be Monday, January 30th at 11 AM with visitation one hour prior at Trinity Lutheran Church, Twin Valley. Interment will be at the Riverside Memorial Cemetery, Mahnomen following the service and lunch reception.

Duane Seeger

August 31, 1924 - January 26, 2012