Funeral services for Carolyn VanWyk, 77, of Lodgepole, will be Monday, December 19, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. at the United Methodist Church in Hettinger, ND. Rev. Brad Burckhalter will officiate. Burial at the Hettinger Cemetery will be Monday morning prior to the Funeral service with Rev. Gary Weems. Visitation will be from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, December 18 at the Evanson Jensen Funeral Home in Hettinger, ND.

Carolyn Haag was the first-born child to Henry and Evelyn (Stedje) Haag of Hettinger, ND on December 17, 1933. She attended Taylor Butte Country School for her first 8 grades. She then attended Hettinger High School for 3 years, completing her 4th year at Dakota Lutheran High School in Minot, ND. Carolyn attended Concordia College in Moorhead, MN before starting her teaching career. Her first teaching position was in Gascoyne, ND for one year. Subsequent to that she taught for several years at Sunny West, a country school near Lodgepole, SD. During this time she met Warren VanWyk and they were married on July 3, 1957. She continued teaching and eventually did part time teaching of just music at several country schools in the Lodgepole area.

In March of 1959 their sons Kory and Rory were born and her teaching time was cut down considerably. Teaching music remained a large part of her life even after the birth of their third son, Paul, in May of 1967.

She was an active member of a women's singing group known as the "Hometowners" and during this time she wrote the words and music for the song, "North Dakota - Land of the Free", which was copyrighted in 1989. Carolyn dedicated this song to the Hettinger Pioneer Centennial Square in 1989 and the Hometowners presented it to the community. This group was also asked to sing this song at a State Convention of County Commissioners in Bismarck, ND. Subsequently she also wrote the words and music to another song titled "South Dakota U.S.A" which was also copyrighted in 1989.

The Holland Center Christian Reform Church was privileged to have her musical abilities available at any time. Carolyn was very active as a wife and mother, in her church, working with the Hettinger Hospital Guild Auxiliary, Homemaker's Club as well as many other activities.

Carolyn suffered from diabetes for several years along with other debilitating conditions and passed away on Wednesday morning, December 14, 2011 at the Western Horizons Care Center in Hettinger.

Grateful for having shared her life are her husband, Warren VanWyk, Lodgepole, SD; three sons, Rory (Kaye) VanWyk, Mandan, ND, Kory VanWyk, Lodgepole, SD and Paul VanWyk, Denver, CO; two brothers, DuWayne Haag, Chesnee, SC, Darrell Haag, Missoula, MT; one sister, Janice Haag, Missoula, MT; an aunt, Mirth Stedje, Kalispell, MT, two nieces, one nephew and many cousins.

Carolyn was preceded in death by her grandparents, her parents, several aunts and uncles, a sister-in-law and several cousins.