Stories

We know there are stories about our Dad. Some are funny, some are sentimental... We enjoy hearing all of them. If you'd like to share one, there's a form at the bottom of this page.

First, in 1960 at a Methodist Church Camp near Livingston; then throughout high school and college. In fact, Haydn introduced me to my wife, Royce, in 1965 when we were students at EMC in Billings. As English majors, one notable collaboration we had was creating a college literary circle (mostly a beer-drinking excuse) called Coop’s Group, in honor of our favorite American Literature prof., Lyle Cooper. His laugh was unmatched.

-- Gary Graves

Not really a story, but as a student of counseling from MSUN, I had Haydn as an instructor. I have always felt a connection to his compassion, and style of teaching. He made you feel like he was teaching directly to you, and I loved his classes. I took summer Continuing Ed classes from him, and they were always relaxed and personal, not "book learning", but life learning! I am sorry to see that he has passed, and will no longer be able to teach and influence others to be as compassionate and caring as he himself was. His legacy will live on those he touched, as evidenced by the wonderful obituary! I am grateful to have had the opportunity to learn from him. RIP Haydn! 

-- Laura Krauth

Some of my fondest memories of graduate school were graduate classes that Haydn taught. He was the rockstar of the Northern faculty. Everyone loved his classes. I even had a couple recordings of his classes. Nothing like Haydn"s independent studies weekly meetings at a favorite bar. I never met anyone so adept at getting to know you and getting you to look at yourself and self-reflect. I met with Haydn many times for one-on-one conversations and he always could help me with any issues I was dealing with or just needing feedback from a good friend.

I last saw Haydn about a year and a half ago and he said he was dealing with health issues. I got his phone # and I was going to call him to go out for a beer but then Covid hit. It saddens me we never got that last chance to visit.

-- Joe Ban

I just barely came aware of Haydns passing, and my condolences go out to all of his friends and family. Haydn was my counselor (therapist) when I was in high school. I came from a poor and misguided family, struggling to make ends meet, living off of government assistance, and filled with poor coping methods. My mother was pretty much just a person who existed in my life and served no other purpose, and my father was barely ever around. I had no guidance or role models to help me understand the ways of life or even walk me through how to be a productive member of society. I was heading down a path of failure and poor choices, almost dropping out of high school the minute I was old enough to make that decision. I was heading down a path of darkness and poor decisions that could've impacted my adult life permanently, if I continued down this path. Then Haydn came around, and I could say brought light into my life. He became more than a therapist for me, he became a mentor and roll model. He taught me everything from understanding and dealing with my feelings, how to drive, and showed me how to be a hard worker and the benefits that come with this trait. I remember going down to the backroads of great falls in his chevy avalanche, or a more memorable moment when he let me drive his white sports car (dont remember the make or model, I just know it had a turbo in it) and letting me floor it down this stretch of road. One of the scariest, yet funnest moments of this time in my life. I remember when he built his house somewhere along the outskirts of great falls and he needed a hand, so he asked if I wanted to help. He showed me how to do simple landscaping and how to install insulation into his garage for the winter. Or when I got into playing guitar; he let me borrow his son Ben's gorgeous acoustic guitar, which I would spend hours playing in my room. He suggested I get into weight lifting and boxing; and even went over the history of both with me as a way to cope with my emotions. To this day I still pick up the weights and throw on the gloves. He became that key parental figure that my life was missing, and put me back on the right path. I could go on forever with stories and experiences I shared with him that made the last few teenage years of mine, but I see I've already typed out a short novel. I could honestly say I would've been a failure if it wasn't for the impact Haydn had on my life. 10 years later and I'm now a happily married Marine veteran who owns a home in one of the most expensive and highest taxed states in America, and additionally serve my community as a police officer; all before the age of 30. Something that wasn't even in my line of sight when I was young due to thinking it was impossible coming from my background. But Haydn had that impact on people, or at least for me. I wish I hadn't been so busy with my adult life so that I could've thanked him in person for the impact on my life he had, because I truly don't know where I'd be if he never came along. So thank you Haydn for being there when I needed you the most. Thank you for showing me everything you did. I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for you coming into my life. I've never stopped thinking about you, and will be forever thankful for what you've done for me. You were the foundation for the life I built and live today.

-- Corey

In 2000, I began my adventure to become a therapist and Haydn was one of my mentors. He so gracefully and humorously guided me through figuring out what my strengths were and offered so much knowledge and insight that I still use today. He’s one of those people that touch your life and are never forgotten. While I was sad to learn he’s gone home, he’s most certainly not forgotten. 

-- Misty