Vernon Haugen

1925 - 2012

Vernon Ernest Haugen

September 23, 1925 - November 12, 2012

SALEM - Longtime Salem resident Vernon Ernest Haugen passed away at his home on November 12, 2012. He was 87 years old. Vernon was born on September 23, 1925, in Temple, North Dakota, to Hjalmer and Hattie Haugen. He was the 3rd of eleven children that grew up in Wild Rose, North Dakota. He moved to Salem, Oregon when he was 17 years old and attended Salem High School in 1942.

Vernon was a World War II Navy veteran. He joined the US Navy after high school and served from 1942 to 1946 as a Fireman First Class on the USS Swordfish (SS-193). In the summer of 1949, Vernon met the love of his life Lula Mae Smith at the Crystal Gardens Dance Hall and they married a year later on June 18th, 1950. Together they raised four children and enjoyed 62 happy years of marriage.

In 1946 he started his 55 year career in the jewelry industry at Browns Jewelry in Salem, Oregon and then in 1958 the company was purchased by the Zale Jewelry Corporation where he took over as manager until 1978. In 1979 he opened his first jewelry store and named it Vernon Jewelers, in which he worked up until he retired in June of 2001. In the last 11 years of his life, Vernon stayed very busy. He loved the jewelry industry and his customers with such a passion, that he could not just stay away from it! He set up a small shop in his home and restored antique wrist/pocket watches and sold them on Ebay to customers all over the world.

In his free time, he loved fishing and hunting, bowling, spending time with his family, collecting antique wrist/pocket watches and enjoying dinners with friends and family.

For years, Vernon was an active member of the downtown Kiwanis Club, Chamber of Commerce and he spent 60 years with the Salem Elks #336, where he was the Exalted Ruler from 1982-1983.

Vernon is survived by his wife, Lula Mae Haugen; his daughter Ronda Grefenson, and husband Noel, of Salem; his son Terry Haugen and his wife Amy, of Salem;his son son Alan Haugen and his wife Brenda, of Salem; his son Troy Haugen and his wife Rachel, of Dallas, Texas; eleven grandchildren and six great grandchildren. He is survived by his sister, Leona Williams of San Diego, CA; brother, Clarence Haugen of Heyden, Idaho; sister, June Allen of Salem, OR; brother Elmer Haugen of Albany, OR; and sister, Donna Gilchrist of Lake Oswego, OR.

Vernon spent the last few weeks of his life surrounded by his many family members.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Boys and Girls Club, American Cancer Society or the Elks National Foundation.

The family would like to give a "Special Thanks" to Willamette Valley Hospice and all of the Doctors and Nurses that assisted in Vern's care.

A Memorial Service will be held on Monday, November 19th, at 2:00 p.m. at City View Funeral Home in Salem.