In Loving Memory of Agnes “Aggie” Janet Hagen

Agnes “Aggie” Janet Hagen, age 87, passed away on July 2, 2023, in Greeley, Colorado.
Aggie was born in Aguilar, Colorado, on April 22, 1936, to Frances (Skraznas) Struthers and Archie
Struthers. She was the middle of three sisters, Dorothy the eldest, and Sonya the youngest. The family
lived in the Delagua Canyon coal camp where Archie was employed. Following their mother’s passing
the family cared for each other while Archie worked overnight shifts at the mine. Aggie often spoke
fondly of coal camp life including school, visiting neighbors, bike riding, and trips to the company store.
She attended school in Delagua and Trinidad, graduating from Trinidad High School in 1954.
On June 26, 1954, she married Charles (Chuck) Hagen and moved to the Hagen ranch at the head of
Reilly Canyon near Boncarbo. They shared a small clapboard ranch house with Charles’ parents Charles
Sr. and Elise, as well as Charles’ and Elise’s adopted children Robert and Betty. After years of hard work
Chuck and Aggie purchased the ranch from Charles’ parents. The couple lived their entire lives there,
raising three sons in the process.
Early on Agnes was an instrumental partner in operating the ranch and raising the family. While Chuck
farmed, cut timber for the mine, and did custom bulldozer work, Aggie worked alongside him in their
cattle operation. She drove various small vehicles as school buses, gathering kids from the upper
reaches of the canyons and connecting with larger buses in Cokedale and Viola. She sold eggs and saved
Gold Bond Stamps to help make ends meet.
In the 1960’s Chuck partnered with Nick Mangino to form H&M Implement Company, a John Deere
dealership. The business started out in Mangino’s Garage on Elm Street. The company then built a new
building on East Main Street, which would become the business’ permanent location. Agnes did bookkeeping, worked at the customer counter, and chased parts around town. The business was very
successful for many years, with many customers throughout southern Colorado and northern New
Mexico. Aggie and Chuck enjoyed trips together to pick up and deliver machinery.