EuGene Allen Hayes

**** To watch a recording of the service, please use the link: https://youtu.be/2E8tcD-gI6k 

EuGene "Gabby" Allen Hayes, 76, of Grand Forks, ND, passed away on Sunday, November 29, 2020 at Altru Hospital in Grand Forks. 

EuGene was born March 5, 1944, in Mondovi, WI, the son of Archie and Eileen (Johnson) Hayes. He grew up in Wisconsin, where he worked on various family farms and went to school graduating in 1962 from Eau Claire Memorial High School.

EuGene entered the US Air Force in September of 1962 and served 22 years before his honorable discharge as E-7 Master Sargent. He served at various bases from Lubuck, Texas; Okinawa, Japan; Grand Forks, North Dakota; Vietnam, and back to Grand Forks. In 1984 he retired from the Air Force and shortly later began working for the Air Force in civil personnel.

EuGene was a registered Amateur Softball Association (ASA) umpire for 40-years, working multiple national tournaments across the United States and concluding with induction into the North Dakota Softball Hall of Fame in 2008. He was also a member of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry since 1978.

He married Loretta Lorraine Lambertson at Big Elk Creek Lutheran Church in rural Elk Mound on October 3, 1964. Together they raised three children making their homes at various air bases. In 1978 they built their “forever home” in rural Emerado, North Dakota, on five acres of land, getting their ‘little house on the prairie.’

EuGene is survived by his son, Kurt (Jenn) Hayes of Medina, ND; daughters, Leisha (Dennis) Scheffler of Elk Mound, WI, and Laura (Jon) Nissen of Andover, MN. His twelve grandchildren, Bobbi Sue (Dallas), Kristina (Quentin), Jordyn-Lea (Marcus), Nicole, Katherina, Everett, Xander, Angel, and Aurora Hayes; Devan Scheffler; and Mallyssa and Joshua Nissen. His thirteen great-grandchildren (Graci Ann, Maci, Sophi, Tensli, Tayton, Wesli, Carson, Alyvia, Aydin, Easton, Paisley, Buckley, and Quentin III). His sister, LaRayne “Lori” Bayliss of Bel Air, MD; brother-in-law, Larry (Polly) Lambertson of Forest Lake, MN; sister-in-law, Donna (Ken) Price of Elk Mound, WI; and five nephews (Tony and Bradley Price, Jeffrey Lambertson, and Larry and Kevin Bayliss) and a niece (Jane Lambertson “ #3 ”).

He was proceeded in death by his parents, wife, grandson, Ian Carter, and granddaughter, Morgan-Shea Eileen.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations may be made to:

• Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) in East Grand Forks, Minnesota https://heroes.vfw.org/page/21776/donate/1?ea.tracking.id=homepage
• Wounded Warriors Project https://support.woundedwarriorproject.org/Default.aspx?tsid=11585&ovr_acv_id=15668&campaignSource=ONLINE&source=BS20060CAABREMA&gclid=Cj0KCQiAzZL-BRDnARIsAPCJs70Nnta9KmqE2jqA7zViFXvJkp4KcCP6FH2JNzu1GQtsUc_XV4xLFaIaAjlCEALw_wcB
• Disabled Veterans of America https://secure.dav.org/site/Donation2;jsessionid=00000000.app315a?df_id=18792&18792.donation=form1&mfc_pref=T&NONCE_TOKEN=A6523B6F9B7D5251FC8639C67AA65ED0

A private memorial service will be held with inurnment at Memorial Park Cemetery in Grand Forks. 

A private memorial service will be held with inurnment at Memorial Park Cemetery in Grand Forks.