In Memory of Lisa Marie Hager
Lisa Marie Hager passed away in her home on August 2nd, 2026, with her husband John; children Grace, Jack and Elle; and sister-in-law Molly by her side.
Lisa was born May 24th, 1967, in Zumbrota, MN to Donald Greseth and Phyllis "Kvamme" Greseth. She was the youngest of four children, with older brothers Randy, Tim (Suki) and Dan (Margaret). She grew up in Wanamingo, MN and had many hometown friends. She attended college starting at RCTC and then went on to graduate from Mankato State where she gained many more friends.
She met her future husband, John Hager, for the first time at a high school prom, and they later reconnected when she left a wedding dance and went to a local bar and John was there. He asked for her number, and when she went home that night she got a call; it was him. They later worked together at a Pizza Hut where she was manager, and he proposed to her at work, after 3 months of dating. 3 years later they married, on August 26th, 1995.
They went on to have three children, Grace in 1998, Jack in 2001 and Elle in 2004. As a family, the Hagers took many trips, with Lisa always taking charge of planning them down to the very last detail. She took charge of many things in her life, EVER the go-getter. She attended nearly every event of her children, no matter how seemingly minuscule they may have seemed to her children; she never let them forget that they were supported.
Lisa and John also hosted a foreign exchange student, Nil, from Austria, and she treated him like another one of her cubs. She was a mama bear through and through. She was HR Director for Dodge County for 28 years, and at the time of her retirement was the longest-tenured HR Director of all 87 counties in the state. Lisa saw the best in people, always making sure everyone felt welcome. She loved deeply, gave endlessly, and fought valiantly.
She will be missed beyond measure by her husband, children, father, brothers, sisters (in-law), brothers (in-law), mother- and father-in-law, nieces and nephews, cousins, and her countless friends.
Lisa sponsored a boy named Joel for many years through Compassion International. Her wish was to have any donations made to the organization in lieu of flowers or gifts.
Your Contributions Are Stewarded Wisely
Every gift you give through Compassion is handled with integrity and care. We follow strict financial guardrails to ensure accountability, transparency and the flexibility to invest wisely for long-term impact. Here’s a brief explanation of how funds are allocated:
In fiscal year 2025, 80% of every dollar went straight to program work through our local church partners — including education, medical care, nutrition, child protection and sharing God’s love with children living in poverty and their families.
