Haugen recalls Carter’s kindness
When news that former First Lady Rosalyn Carter passed away on Nov. 19, the life-sized statue that former Minneota resident Don Haugen and his wife, Teena Stern, sculpted of her in 2012 was shown prominently on television in the days following her passing.
Haugen, one of the most renowned sculptors in the country who is still working at age 89 along with his wife, recalls Mrs. Carter as "a very nice woman" when she had sitting at his studio apartment several times during the designing and sculpting process.
"She came here several times and always has Secret Service personnel with her," said Haugen. "She probably sat a total of 16-18 hours. She was very pleasant and generous with our time. We had a lot of chit chat between us."
The Carters and their aides commissioned Haugen and Stern to be the sculptors as they resided in Marietta, GA. Mrs. Carter was 85 years old when she sat for her statue.
"She wanted the statue to look much younger than she was at the time," said Haugen.
"Teena and I feel honored to have been chosen to sculpt the First Lady from live sittings with her."
Haugen and his wife also met Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States, during the unveiling of the statue on May 3, 2013 at Georgia Southwestern State University in Americus, GA. Mrs. Carter is an alma mater of that school.
The statue had two wreaths of white flowers placed on each side of the statue, which shows Mrs. Carter seated on a bench. Her children, Jack, Chip, Jeff and Amy visited the statue after their mother's death and it was shown numerous times on television and social media.
"Teena and I feel honored to have been chosen to sculpt the First Lady from live sittings with her," said Haugen.
Haugen was born in Minneota and attended school here until his family moved to Illinois when he was six years old. The family eventually returned to southeastern Minnesota and Haugen graduated from Spring Valley in 1952. After serving in the U.S. Army, he returned to Minneota and lived there from 1956 until 1961 when he enrolled at the University of Minnesota.
Haugen's sister, Roxanne Haugen-Lundquist lives in Canby.
Haugen and Stern's work can be found all over the country and in Finland, Switzerland and France. He also sculpted a bust of former President Ronald Reagan that sits in the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, CA.