Wayne F. Hysjulien

Wayne Francis Hysjulien

January 12, 1930 September 14, 2024

Wayne Francis Hysjulien, 94, known simply as “Hysh,” died peacefully surrounded by his loving family on September 14, 2024. Wayne was the tenth and last child born to his parents Ole Tobias and Anna (Stenseth) Hysjulien on January 12, 1930. He grew up in Columbus, ND, where he graduated high school in 1947.

After high school, he joined the army and spent two years playing trombone with General McCarther’s Army band in Tokyo, Japan. Upon his return, he went to college and earned his teaching degree from Minot State Teachers College. It was there he met the love of his life Madonna Mary Spain. They shared a love of music, teaching, math, and each other’s company for 70 years until her passing in 2021.

After a few years in Upsala, Minnesota, where he taught high school math, he and Donna moved to Hibbing where they lived, thrived and raised their seven children for 60 plus years. Hysh’s family was his focus, pride, and joy; acceptance, unconditional love, patience, and prayer provided the environment for each child to be themselves.

In Hibbing, he became a beloved high school math teacher from 1957 to 1990. Mr. Hysjulien put the Hibbing High School math team on the map winning a state championship. He and Donna, his assistant coach, brought teams to state competitions year after year. He is also an inductee in the MN Coaches Association Hall of Fame. After his retirement, he and Donna tutored countless students, not just with math, but also provided a nurturing, safe, supportive place in their home for the students to learn and grow. He was an inspiration to so many students. His passion for math and young people was such a gift for so many.

In 1961, Hysh and his three best friends, Bruce, Walt, and Ray, built cabins next to each other on Burnt Shanty Lake in Balsam Township. All teachers, they each brought their families to the lake, spending every summer growing, laughing, and loving together. The cabin became a place where deep connections and bonds were created. And “that was the miracle they made.”

The Minnesota Twins provided Hysh with a lifetime of joy, heartbreak, jubilation, and frustration. At the cabin, he could often be found putzing with antennas or sitting in his car to catch a score on the radio. Twins standings often appear in old journals alongside notes about his children. With modern technology his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren all deeply loved the opportunity to share a game with him.

Hysh loved music. His childhood was a farmhouse filled with brothers and sisters playing instruments and voices together in song. As the older siblings left, the young ones picked up those instruments. He was taught three chords on the in-home organ and he’s been filling his life, his family, and each space he’s in with music ever since. He sang his children to sleep each night, led his family in song on long car trips, picked up his guitar to lead his grandchildren in song at the campfire, sang in the church choir, and hummed a little tune everywhere he went. 

Hysh was an active Hibbing community member. He and Donna were avid supporters of HHS sports teams, delivered Meals on Wheels, and won the Lion’s Club award for outstanding community service. He was always active in the Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, singing in the church choir and other activities. His faith was his constant. Hysh had a very giving nature, and for the last 13 years, in honor of family members lost to cancer, he hosted the R-Cubed triathlon/concert fund-raiser for the Angel Fund, which supports cancer patients in northern Minnesota. 

Wayne Hysjulien, by his nature, lived a life of acceptance, love, and faith that impacted and inspired every life he touched. He gave generous love and attention to everyone he knew, making each person feel as if they shared a special connection with him. 

Wayne is preceded in death by his wife Madonna (Spain) Hysjulien, parents, Ole Tobias and Anna Hysjulien, his nine brothers and sisters, his daughter Roxane Hysjulien Demillo and his son-in-law Mark DeMillo, his son Jamie Hysjulien and his grandson Aane Dove. He is survived by sister-in-law Linda Spain (Micheal Ingram), his children: Robert Kim Hysjulien (Laura), Rebecca Dove (Robert), Chery Hysjulien (Randy Hedberg), Niki Hysjulien (Tim Johnson), Holly Hysjulien (Lori Gustafson), his daughter-in-law Nikki Vangsnes, his 18 grandchildren, 40 great grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews. He will be thoroughly mourned and seriously missed by all who knew him. 

All donations will be given to support mathematics education at Hibbing High School.

Funeral services for Wayne will be 5:30 pm, Friday, September 20, 2024 at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Hibbing. The Rev. Fr. Bill Skarich will celebrate the Mass of Christian Burial. Visitation will be one hour prior to the funeral Mass at the church on Friday. A reception in Wayne’s honor will follow in St. Leo’s Hall, located in the Assumption School immediately following the funeral Mass on Friday. Interment will be in Maple Hill Cemetery of Hibbing, 11:00 am, Saturday, September 21, 2024. Arrangements are with the Dougherty Funeral Home of Hibbing.

To leave an online message of condolence, or view funeral Mass via livestream, please visit us at; www.doughertyofhibbing.com.