State's oldest resident saw big changes

Article by: WARREN WOLFE , Star Tribune
Updated: December 8, 2008 - 9:30 PM

Catherine Hagel was born on Nov. 28, 1894, and, at 114, was the second-oldest person in the United States.

hide

Catherine Hagel

Photo: Jeff Wheeler, Star Tribune

Camera Star Tribune photo galleries

Camera view larger

5
comments
resize text
print
buy reprints

Tweet
share

email
Email share

your name

your email

recipients email

+ add a comment add a comment

Catherine Hagel of New Hope, the third-oldest documented person in the world, has died at age 114 and eight days.

Hagel, who had 35 grandchildren, 58 great-grandchildren and 20 great-great grandchildren, had been in frail heath since she turned 111, according to her daughter, Cecelia Gulczinski, 90, of Crystal.

Hagel died Saturday at Minnesota Masonic Home North Ridge in New Hope. She turned 114 Nov. 28.

"I cried more for my mother before she died than since," Gulczinski said Monday. "Life wasn't very much for her now. She had lost most of her memory, she couldn't really see or hear much, and she just stared out the window some.

"When people at her birthday party were talking about having another party next year, I told them, 'I think this is it. I think she's getting ready to leave.'" Guklczinski said. "I think she's happier now."

Hagel was born Catherine Dahlheimer in Dayton on Nov. 28, 1894 -- when Grover Cleveland was president and the Spanish-American War was still more than three years off. She married John Hagel and farmed in Dayton most of her life. She sewed her own wedding dress and, when her first child was born, made it into a baptismal gown that has been worn by more than 50 descendants.

Two days before her 114th birthday, Hagel became the third-oldest woman in the world, and second-oldest in the United States, when 115-year-old Edna Parker of Indiana died, according to the Gerontology Research Group in California and Guinness World Records.

Last February, Hagel became the oldest Minnesotan on record when she turned 113 and 73 days, surpassing the record set in 2002 by her childhood friend and sister-in-law, Delvina Dahlheimer.

The oldest person in the world now is Maria de Jesus of Portugal at 115 and 88 days, the Gerontology Research Group says.

Hagel's husband died in 1966 at age 74. Hagel remained on the 40-acre farm until 14 years ago -- 20 years after her family first tried to persuade her to leave -- and moved to the New Hope nursing home.

Services will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Mary Queen of Peace Catholic Church at St. Martin in Rogers, where she was married and was a lifelong member.

Warren Wolfe • 612-673-7253