How can I summarize 89 years in a few paragraphs? Wally Oien was born in Halstad on September 22, 1935 to Earl and Constance (Langaunet) Oien. The rumor was on one occasion mom put baby in bed with dad and crawled into the crib and slept. He was baptized and confirmed at Halstad Lutheran Church.

He attended Herberg School through 8th grade and graduated from Halstad High School in 1953. That fall his future wife started first grade in Halstad. Wally attended one year at North Dakota Agricultural College after which his dad asked him to come home and farm.

Wally was in the Air National Guard from 1957 to 1963 with basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.

He married Betty Jean Horge on April 1, 1967. He always said he fooled me and stuck around for 57 years. Their two children were Zak Noel and Amber Dee. He farmed until 1981 and during this time had winter jobs at Halstad Soybean Plant, Halstad Implement and cutting wood for the REA. In 1982 he worked full time at the REA until 1998. He then helped with farming into his 80's.

Wally played baseball from 1949 into the 1960's. At one time he played on five different teams including the Halstad Red Sox. He loved to tell the story of his three home runs at one game. In 1952 the baseball team won the State High School Championship. He was proud to be interviewed by Eric Bergeson for the book he wrote on Pirates on the Prairie.

Wally lived in and around Halstad his entire life. He enjoyed fishing, pheasant and deer hunting, farming and dispensing words of wisdom. He was an extreme extrovert and social person, full of fun, telling jokes, quoting Shakespeare and singing. He was a life member of the NRA, sang in church choirs and was head usher at Augustana Church for twenty plus years. He was always on the go and needed to be busy. Home was his place to eat and sleep.

Wally left us October 22, 2024 while under the care of Hospice of the Red River Valley. No services are planned. I wonder if a John Deere tractor picked him up after he left here. The smile on his face would be memorable. I will always miss sharing my Wallyisms with others. He always talked about lutefisk pizza and yodeling in Norwegian. He loved attention. He was so unique! We miss him!

Wally was preceded in death by our son, Zak; his parents; in-laws, Elmer and Ardis Horge; sister, Maxine Holm; brother, Wendell; and sister-in-law, JoAnn Dietrich.

Please view our guestbook and share condolences online for the family.