Obituary of Alma Joy Haden

    Alma Haden, 98, passed away at Prairie View care facility in Sanborn, IA, with her family gathered, on March 11, 2025. Alma was born January 22, 1927, to Nels and Lillian (Carlson) Nelson at their home near Valparaiso, NE. The youngest of six children, she grew up on different farms around the Valparaiso area before the family moved to Sac City, IA, in 1940, bringing along her beloved horse Madge.

    She attended country schools and her creativity grew into some of her favorite childhood memories of playing with her siblings, making “stick horses,” willow whistles, and even transforming an old abandoned car-body frame into a playhouse. Her family gathered in the evenings to have a time of Bible study, singing hymns together around the piano while her mother played. (Because of these special family times, later, the story of the von Trapp family singers featured in the Sound of Music became an all-time favorite for her.) 

    At age 14 in 1941, she worked outside the home as a neighborhood nanny, and also in the Sac City sweet corn canning factory. In 1946 with her sister and a girlfriend, she moved to Lincoln, NE, where she first assembled watches at the Elgin watch factory and then was a waitress in the Nebraska Capitol cafeteria.

    She met her future husband, Dean Haden, at a picnic with friends in August of 1948 and at a basketball game in February of 1949, Dean asked her out on their first date of many - spent roller skating and attending movies. They were married February 12, 1950, at the First Baptist Church in Sac City. She became a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Lytton, IA, where Dean had grown up. Alma then worked alongside Dean in their purebred Hampshire hog business on the 160-acre farm near Lytton, even hosting buyers from Panama and Japan. She grew flowers and vegetables, canned, raised chickens, and was known for baking delicious sweets for her growing family, especially ginger cookies. The cookie jars were always full.

    Alma and Dean raised five children on the family farm: Susan (Ron) Haffner of Solon; Kenneth of GA; Janet (Fred) Smith of OR; David (Patty) of Primghar and Deann of Fort Dodge.

    Alma nurtured her children as they grew by volunteering at school and church, as a “home-room mom,” Sunday School teacher, and a Campfire Girl leader. She was an excellent scrapbooker and genealogist, documenting all family births, celebrations and events with photos and mementos.  She had a beautiful flair for creativity, designing and decorating indoors and outdoors for every holiday, turning the home into a wonderland for her children, relatives and friends and later for 10 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren (with one more on the way and additionally, Alma was expecting her first great-great-grandchild in August).

    Grandchildren include: Heidi Haden, Luke Haden of AZ; Peter (Kib) Haden of FL; Sarah Smith, Rachael (Andy) Stutzman of OR; Michael (Cara) Haden of IA, Johnathon (Gao Gao) Haden of IN; Christine (Ryan) Brasser of IA; Daniel (Brooke) Haden of IA and Brian (Carly) Haden of IA.

    Alma traveled to many states visiting relatives, touring farms and attending hog sales: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Missouri, Colorado, California, Oregon, and South Dakota. While attending hog shows she even won a trophy for top “Women’s Hog Judging” honors. She also “traveled the world” by being a gracious host to the many guests her children would bring home from college including students from China, Holland, Africa, South America, Puerto Rico and many more.

    Dean passed away suddenly in 1978, but she continued to live on the farm for 19 years, moving to Fort Dodge in 1997 where she continued to host family, friends and guests. Alma moved to Prairie View care facility in Sanborn on February 24 of 2016, happy to have a beautiful rosebush outside her courtyard window. She was greatly looking forward to this spring’s addition of a children’s daycare and seeing the children in the courtyard playground.

    During her 9 years at Prairie View she reveled in jigsaw puzzles, fill-in puzzles, Amish romance novels, and lots of sewing! She designed and created over 2000 “pillowcase dresses” for orphanages around the world. She was a competitive Scrabble player where she delighted in victories over her grandchildren. She received abundant cell phone calls from children and grandchildren each day and Prairie View staff joked she received more calls than they did.  At the age of 90 she learned how to use Facebook, email and an Alexa.  She also became a basketball and football fan, rarely missing the games of U of I’s Caitlin Clark (who shared Alma’s birthday) and ISU’s Brock Purdy.

    She was preceded in death by her parents, the “love of her life” Dean, her five siblings and their spouses, Dean’s three siblings and two of their spouses, several nieces and nephews, as well as many beloved friends and pets. She is survived by her children, their spouses, grandchildren and her brother-in-law Filmore “Gus” Gustafson of Cherokee.

    Her siblings included Wilbur (Jaunita)Nelson TX, Wilma (Don) Wunschel Witte AK, Pearl (Don) Bossom MO, LeRoy (Margaret) Nelson IA and Lester (Ardis) Nelson CA. Wilma, Pearl, and LeRoy also spent much of their adult lives in Sac City.

    Alma’s creativity, generosity, work ethic and faithfulness continue on among all her descendants. She will be greatly missed but forever remembered and continually appreciated.

    Alma deeded her body for research at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine. A celebration of life and graveside service will each be held at later dates. Memorials can be sent to Alma Haden Memorial, c/o Sanborn Funeral Home, 401 Main St., Sanborn, IA  51248, directed to the discretion of the family and will include Gentiva Hospice Care of Spirit Lake, Prairie View Care Facility in Sanborn and the Paullina Splash Pad campaign for children.