Jon Olaf Haaven

Jon Haaven, age 91, of Alexandria, died on Friday, July 18, 2025. Due to a family medical emergency setback Jon's service's have been postponed until further notice. 

"If I knew I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself” A phrase Jon Haaven would keep repeating at his birthday parties for the last 20 years.

He was born in Crookston, Minnesota on November 19, 1933, to his parents Ira and Lois Haaven, the youngest of three siblings. Jon passed away peacefully at home on July 18, 2025, with family by his side, at the age of 91.

Jon lived a life marked by extraordinary achievements, deep-seated values, and unwavering dedication to his family and community. His journey from humble roots in Crookston to becoming a respected public figure showcases an inspiring blend of talent, resilience and a profound care for those around him.

Jon graduated from East Grand Forks, ND in 1951, a year in which his team made its way into the Minnesota State High School Basketball Tournament. Jon scored 36 points in the first game. They didn’t win, but he was named to the All-State Team that year and was also inducted into that school’s “Hall of Fame.”

His basketball career continued at the University of North Dakota where he was inducted into the university’s “Athletic Hall of Fame.” He was also later named to UND’s “All Century Team” following the first 100 years of UND basketball (1904-2004). He was also drafted by the then Minneapolis Lakers but never wore one of their uniforms.

Jon volunteered for the draft in the Korean era. He never served overseas but was soon transferred to Ft. Devens, Massachusetts, which resulted in acquiring the top position in the personnel office of those stationed there, including the 74th Regimental Combat Team.

Jon and Bonnie were married in December 1953 while still in college and they would have been celebrating their 72nd wedding anniversary in December of this year. Jon frequently expressed pride in their five daughters, noting their individuality and the comfort of having them all living nearby in his later years.

He learned the value of the part-time radio job he held on the college’s own radio station throughout college. He became the Saturday Night disc jockey on a Grand Forks commercial radio station and later a weekend sub for the news and weather on television.

Jon earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism in 1958, the same year a new television station was scheduled to open in Alexandria, Minnesota. It was a fortunate coincidence as he successfully auditioned for the job of News Director and the on-the-air News Anchor for the new station. The Haaven family subsequently moved to Alexandria and never left.

Jon’s television career spanned 11 years. He changed his profession from television to the print media when he became an owner and publisher of the long-standing Park Region Echo newspaper in early 1969. He renamed the newspaper to “Echo Press” and Jon was its publisher for the next 35 years, including ten years after selling the newspaper to the Fargo Forum.

During those years, he entered the political scene and was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 1969, re-elected in 1971, and was the Republican endorsed candidate for the U.S. Congress in 1972. He was defeated by the incumbent Bob Bergland.

He was a publisher, politician, pilot, painter, TV personality and proficient Ham Radio Operator. His oil paintings are scattered around family homes, and he obtained his private pilot’s license while covering the news for the local television station.

Jon and Bonnie loved traveling and explored many places around the world from London to Melbourne, Australia. They wintered for 2 weeks a year in Hawaii and lived seasonally for 20 years in their second home in Arizona.

Jon was a member of the First Congregational Church for more than 60 years and a long-time member of the Alexandria Rotary Club. Also, he had been a member of the Elks Lodge for over 60 years. During his 50 plus years as a member of the Alexandria Golf Club, he had four holes-in-one on the signature hole number 7 and served as the club’s president during the 1993-94 seasons.

He served on the Sprint (United Telephone) board of directors for 12 years and was appointed by Minnesota Governor Arne Carlson to the state’s Board of Judicial Standards, which investigates complaints and sets penalties for judicial misconduct.

His parents and his older sister, Doris (Engel), brother Kent, and great grandson Jon Thomas Dingwall Jr. preceded him in death. He’s survived by his wife of 71+ years, Bonnie, and all five daughters Kim Dingwall (Tom), Jamie Poegel (Marv), Mindy Boerger (Bill), Jennifer Maloney, and Stacy Haaven- Goehring (Kelly); 9 grandchildren Lisa Dingwall (Jason Bitzan), Jon Dingwall (Kami), Laura Garcia (Josh), Geoff Noe (Ashley), Mark Haaven (Brandi), Keri Roering (Jason), Steve Maloney (Alisa), Lexi Maloney, Dillon Maxwell, and 10 great grandchildren.

Jon generously gifted his body to the Anatomy Bequest Program at the University of MN. The burial will be later in Fort Snelling.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the Congregational Church, St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, or Vivie Hospice.

Jon Haaven, age 91, of Alexandria, died on Friday, July 18, 2025. Due to a family medical emergency setback Jon's service's have been postponed until further notice.