Matthew Ryan Hauge

Matthew Ryan Hauge, 26, of Mason City formerly of Forest City, died Monday, July 4, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Celebration of Life Services will be held 10:30 A.M. Wednesday, July 13, 2016 at the Fertile Lutheran Church with the Pastor Dave Halvorson officiating.

Visitation and viewing will be held 5:00 – 8:00 on Tuesday at Cataldo Schott Funeral Home, 505 North Clark St. Forest City, IA.

Burial of cremains will be held in Brush Point Cemetery in rural, Fertile following services with Military Honors provided by the Iowa Army National Guard Honor Guard.

In lieu, of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Matthew Hauge memorial fund in care of the family.

Matthew Ryan Hauge was born on August 11, 1989, at Naeve Hospital in Albert Lea, MN to Craig and Teresa (Heimdal) Hauge. He was the youngest of three sons. Matt grew up in the Forest City area where he attending school, later graduating from Mason City High School in 2008.

Growing up a Hauge meant you were immersed in baseball from the start and having 2 older brothers to watch and emulate paid off for Matt as he excelled in the sport. His second passion was running and he joined the Cross Country and Track teams during high school to fulfill that passion. At age 14 he ran in the Junior Olympics in Miami. After graduating Matt joined the Army Reserves and attended NIACC where he received his AA degree. Matt also spent time at Iowa State University and Mankato State working towards his Bachelors Degree.

Matt was turning his love for Texas Hold ‘Em into a career and began traveling the country to play in larger tournaments, earning himself a free entry into the WSOP Global Casino Championship to be held in August. The poker community was, in a sense, a second family to Matt, one that he embraced.

Matt was that smart, funny guy with a huge personality and quirky smile to his friends and family.

Those left to cherish his memory are his mother, Teresa Hauge-Clausen and step-father Bill Clausen of Mason City; brothers, Jeremy (Kellie) Hauge of Grimes, IA and Benjamin (Julie) Hauge of St Ansgar, along with their children Kinzley and Beckett; step-siblings, Felicia Clausen and Spencer Clausen both of Des Moines; grandfather, Arnold Hauge of Fertile; maternal grandmother, Marilyn Heimdal and great-grandfather, Robert Witham both of Forest City; uncles, Kent (Carmen) Hauge of Forest City and Paul Hauge of Britt, IA; aunts, Tanya (Dale) Borg of Forest City, Valerie (Craig) Swalve of Garner, Victoria (Randy) Hopp of Palmetto, FL, and Natalie (Jerry) Black of Chandler, AZ; cousins, Myshelle (Trevor) Rhodes, Micah (Mikala) Heimdal, Jessica (Kevin) Nitcher, Justin Hugo, Bryan (Shelby) Hauge, Nicole (Eric) Heinicke, and Melissa Borg as well as numerous other relatives and friends.

His father, Craig Hauge; paternal grandmother, Helen Hauge; maternal grandfather, Merlyn Heimdal and maternal great-grandmother, Myrtle Witham preceded Matthew in death.