Cynthia Hagen

Hagen, Cynthia, age 69 of Farmington passed away January 14, 2023 after a brief battle with cancer.

Cynthia Coombe Hagen was born on December 29, 1953 in Virginia, Minnesota to Rosemary and Clint Coombe. She grew up in Ely, Minnesota and graduated from Ely Memorial High School. After spending a short time at Vermillion and Mesabi Community Colleges, she received a degree in education from Moorhead State in 1976. While at Mesabi Community College, she met the love of her life, Steven Hagen. They were married on June 26, 1976. They lived in Moorhead and Bemidji before settling in Farmington in 1985, where they raised their two sons, James and Matthew.

Cyndi enjoyed every aspect of being a mother to her two boys. Whether it was shuttling them to baseball practice, watching their hockey games, or making home-cooked meals, family came first. She proudly watched both of her sons graduate from St. John’s University, and loved playing the part of a cheering mom at Johnnie football games. She worked for over 30 years at Farmington Public Schools as a paraprofessional, dedicating her time towards children that needed extra help with their learning. Cyndi was also an active member of St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Farmington.

She loved to spend time in Ely at her family’s cabin on Burntside Lake. Cyndi had many long-time friends in Ely and summers spent up north with friends and family were so special to her. She was always on the hunt for the best blueberry picking spots. She was proud of her Finnish and Slovenian heritage, and carried on those traditions through many of the recipes that she enjoyed making and sharing with family. She loved making potica, Finnish tarts, and wild rice bread. She was an avid Minnesota Twins fan, catching as many games as she could at Target Field, and taking adventures across the country with Steve to see them play in other states. Cyndi loved to stay active in retirement. She rarely missed a day of walking, and loved to cross country ski and bike with Steve and her grandkids. She was a devoted friend to many through the years, maintaining long-standing friendships dating back to her high school days to her time working in the school district and from her time raising her boys.

Cyndi was a devoted mother and grandmother. One of her greatest joys was her three grandchildren, Samuel, Ingrid, and Frederik. She loved being active in their lives, cheering them on as they played their sports and instruments. Some of the best memories with her grandchildren were during time together on Burntside Lake, where Cyndi shared the joy of Finnish sauna and blueberry pancakes with them. Her grandkids loved the tradition of baking Christmas cookies with her and plan to carry on the tradition of making spritz cookies and wild rice bread in her memory. She was a gift to all those who knew her and she will be dearly missed.