William A. Haman, 92, of Devils Lake formerly of Crary, ND passed away on Sunday, May 10, 2026, at Altru Hospital, Devils Lake.
William “Bill” Anton, son of Peter and Magdalena (Jaeger) Haman, was born Feb. 20, 1934, at their home farm near Towner, ND. He was the second youngest of 13 children. When Billy was 6 years old, he started his schooling in a little country school not far from their farm. Even the young children had various farm chores and when he got older, Billy worked three summers for his brother, Adam, driving tractor with a pull behind combine. In 1946, his father and family moved into Towner. Bill completed his last six years of education at Towner High School with the class of 1952.
After graduation, Bill moved to Denver and lived with his sister, Kay. He stayed three months working at a gas station and post office. Not liking city life, he moved back to Towner hoping to farm. When his father bought a farm east of Crary, ND, Bill did the fall work and the next spring moved to the Crary farm.
Not being a man to let grass grow under his feet, he met Tess Durbin at a local dance and they were married within the year on Feb. 4, 1956. Bill and Tess purchased the farm from his dad in 1958 and the two worked side by side and became an integral part of the community. In the first seven years of their marriage, they were blessed with seven children! They worked hard and faced many challenges as they raised kids, crops, cattle, pigs, chickens, a big garden, etc. Bill and Tess moved to Devils Lake in 1995 and “retired” in 1999, but Bill’s passion and interest in farming never waned. Even up to the last week of his life, he drove out to Haman Farms to “observe” the start of spring work.
Not only did Bill work hard, he took time to play hard, too. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, lake time with the family, visiting relatives, playing cards, and traveling as well as wintering in Apache Junction, AZ, for many years.
As farmers, Bill and Tess fully understood their dependance on God’s provision. They practiced their Catholic faith, worshipping every Sunday and were active members of Sacred Heart Church in Crary and later St. Joseph in Devils Lake. A common sight when visiting was Bill sitting in his easy chair praying a daily rosary. He was delighted when the grandchildren and later great grandchildren were born. He especially loved to “pop in” to hold and feed the babies. In the last few years, Grandpa Bill truly enjoyed watching the great grandchildren play sports. After his beloved wife, Tess, passed away in 2014, Bill continued to live in Devils Lake until his passing. His example of love and loyalty for family, the farm and his faith in God will remain in our hearts for years to come.
Bill’s loving family include his children and their spouses Terry and Paulette Haman, Devils Lake, Tony and Deb Haman, Twin Falls, ID, Mike and Penny Haman, Lakota ND, Angie and John Bachmeier, Williston, ND, and Ray and Renae Haman also Devils Lake; daughter-in-law Beverly Haman, Bismarck, ND; son-in-law Steve Waldo, Warwick, ND; seventeen grandchildren; thirty-six great grandchildren; sister Beatrice (Bill) Tolle, Denver, CO; sisters-in-law Lois Vilandre, Williston, Monica Bryn, Billings, MT, Mike (Eileen) Durbin, Devils Lake, Ginger Haman, Minot, ND; many nieces, nephews and their families.
He was reunited with his parents, his beloved wife Mary Tess, son Jerry Haman, daughter Lynn Waldo, brothers Adam (Winona) Haman, Fred (Theresa) Haman, Richard Haman, Joe (Helen) Haman, and Clemence (Katherine) Haman, sisters Barbara (Clemence) Ebach, Eva (Adam) Kuhn, Elizabeth (Sidney) Caron, Kay (Jack) Lundin, Clara (Leonard) Schatz, and Sr. Julianna Haman.
There was a gathering of family and friends on Sunday, May 17, 2026, at the Gilbertson Funeral Home, Devils Lake with a Rosary and Scripture Service led by Reverend Mr. Ken Severinson, Deacon.
Mass of Christian Burial was on Monday, May 18, 2026, at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Devils Lake with burial in St. Joseph’s Catholic Cemetery.
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