Fr. Joseph Benedict Hagen O.F.M.
Fr. Joseph Benedict Hagen O.F.M., 91, of St. Louis, MO, died Dec 13, 2011, at St. Anthony’s Hospital, St. Louis, MO. He was born Victor William Hagen on Jul 15, 1920 in the Edgemont area of East St. Louis, IL. He was the 6th generation of his family to worship at St. Philip Catholic Church, East St. Louis.
Fr. Joe had many interests in his life over the years: hunting, fishing, photography, golf, reading, traveling in this country and abroad, many genres of music, and his beautiful letters that he wrote to many friends and relatives all over this country.
As a young boy he knew that he wanted to be a priest, and left home at 12 years of age to attend High School at Teutopolis, IL.
Fr. Joe was ordained a Franciscan priest on Dec 20, 1946 at Springfield, IL. His death came just days before the 65th Anniversary of his Ordination. His assignments took him to many states in the Sacred Heart Province over the middle part of the country. He had been assigned to Chicago, Ill., Columbus and Waverly, Neb.; Dubuque, Iowa; Indianapolis, Indiana; Hermann, MO.; Keshena, Wis.; and Ruston, Hodge, & Homer, La; Locally he had been assigned to St. Mary’s Church, Madison, IL; twice, and as a chaplain at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital from 1980-1993, where he was affectionately known as ‘Father Brown Robe’. The last several years he had lived at St. Anthony’s Friary in St. Louis, MO.
To Mom and Dad he was Victor and then Fr. Joe, to Sandi he was always Fr. Joe and to his Franciscan brothers he was Joe Ben.
He was preceded in death by his:
- Parents: Stephen and Bertha, nee Zimmer, Hagen who died in 1992 and 1990
- Sister: Alice Hagen Pitzer in 1945
- Several aunts and uncles
He is survived by his:
- Niece/adopted sister: Sandra nee Pitzer (MSgt USAF Retired Edmund) Bennett of Shiloh, IL
- Great niece: Kristina nee Bennett (Frank) Menn of Fairview Heights
- 2 great nephews
- Mark CPO US Navy Retired (Dawn) Bennett of York, PA
- Eric Bennett of Fairview Heights
- 5 great great nephews & nieces
- Nicholas & Matthew Menn
- Jonathan, Kerri & Melanie Bennett
- Cousins, friends and his Franciscan brothers
Memorials: Memorials are preferred in the form of Masses, or to the Franciscan Missionary Union or the donor’s choice and they will be accepted at the Church.
Funeral: A Memorial Mass will be celebrated at Corpus Christi Catholic Church, Shiloh, IL at 10:00 am on Friday, January 13, 2012 with Msgr. James Margason as principal celebrant. Burial of his cremated remains will follow at Holy Cross Cemetery, Fairview Heights, Ill.