Ina G Haapala

Ina G. Haapala, 88

Ina Haapala passed away at home on Thursday, January 13, 2022, surrounded by her family.

Ina Gene Haapala was born on July 13, 1933 to Carl and Gene Hartfield of Hammond, Indiana, and was baptized December 10, 1933. After a childhood in the Lansing/Hammond area. Ina earned an Associates Degree in Commercial Art at the Chicago Institute of Arts. Soon afterwards, her family and she moved to Ely, Minnesota, where her parents became the proprietors of Wolf Lake Resort, and the family became very involved with First Lutheran Church. On October 13, 1956, she married Harry Haapala of Ely, and moved near Babbitt, where they were blessed with five children. Harry died in a mining accident in 1968.

Ina was an early member of the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, and taught Sunday School and VBS for many years. In Babbitt, she was a familiar face at Zup's, from which she retired in 1998. Long into retirement, she did the weekly ad signs for Zup's stores across the Range, as well as posters for annual Fun Runs.

Ina is survived by her brother Michael Hartfield and sister Irene Hartfield; all five children, Clayton (Sandy) Haapala, Jennifer (Tom) Merhar, Lizbeth (Galen) Holewa, Alec (Deanna) Haapala, and Eric Haapala; grandchildren Corwin and Kathryn Haapala, Joseph and Andrew Merhar, Jedediah and Nathan Holewa, Charlene (Colwell), Michelle, and Nicholas Haapala; and numerous great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband Harry, parents Carl and Gene Hartfield, and sister Barbara Hartfield Stolz.

A Service of Christian Burial will be held at 11 am Tuesday, January 18th, at Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd in Babbitt. The Rev. Zachariah Burgdorf will officiate. Visitation is one hour prior at the church. Interment will be at 2 pm in the Ely Cemetery.

Family Services are provided by Bauman-Cron, a Bauman Family Funeral Home, in Virginia.  To express condolences on-line please see:  www.baumanfuneralhome.com.