First Rate Care

Donald Daniel Jagol

Donald Daniel Jagol was born Sept. 21, 1921 near Grassy Butte in western North Dakota.  He was the son of Carl & Thelma (Kostenko) Jagol, immigrants from Kiev, Ukraine.  Don’s siblings included: Alec, Mary Lakedon Haugen, Nellie Biesiot, Rose Gaber, George, John, Steve, Amy Andersen, Anton, Peter, & Matt.  Don attended the Little Knife Butte School near the family farm.

In 1934 they moved to Minnesota because of the depression and severe drought.  They lived in Wylie and Dorothy, MN.  Don was confirmed at the Black River Church in rural Red Lake Falls.  He worked for area farmers including Steigers, Hallstroms, & Molines.  He enrolled in the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) Cutfoot Sioux Camp F-14/Company 707 and worked in the power plant there and in forestry and building roads.  Don served in the US Army from 1942-1945 and was stationed in Australia, New Guinea, & the Philippines.  During his time in the service, his brothers John and Steve were both killed in World War II and his family relocated to Fertile.

On June 4, 1945 Don married Francis “Betty” Erickson of Hawley, MN on the family farm east of Fertile.  They were married for 60 ½ years.  They made their home in Crookston.  They so enjoyed their Sampson Street neighbors and life-long community friends.  Betty was the bookkeeper for Bridgeman Creamery for 30 years and Don worked for the MN State Department of Transportation for 36 years as a heavy equipment operator.

They were long-time members of Trinity Lutheran Church.  They loved to volunteer in various service activities of the church.

They enjoyed fishing and after retirement spent many summers at their trailer home at Spring Steel Island, Warroad, MN.  Don also enjoyed fishing trips to Canada and Alaska.  He like to hunt and faithfully hunted deer through the 2015 season (having a bit of help from his nephews the last couple years).

In addition to Betty, Don’s other true love was working in the woods.  Don loved to cut, split, stack, and burn wood.

Don and Betty did not have children of their own, but were godparents to many nieces and nephews and had special relationships with most all of their 30+ nieces and nephews, continuing down to the next generation of great-nieces and nephews, and also children in their neighborhood and church family.  They were always so generous and caring.