Rancher and cattleman Don Hagans, age 80, passed away March 7, 2012 at Grisell Memorial Hospital, Ransom, Kansas. He was born September 28, 1931 to Art and Ida Irene (Morse) Hagans on the family ranch which his grandfather Charles homesteaded in1886. He attended the Pleasant Hill country school and graduated from Utica High School in 1949. After graduating, Don began ranching with his father. Early in his life, Don developed a love for calf roping and team roping, and began a lifelong passion for the sport of rodeo.

Don started learning to calf rope in 1946 with the help of his friend Harold "Horsey" Schmalzried and entered his first rodeo in 1947. He walked away winning $25.00. Since then, as a member of the Kansas Cowboys Association, Rodeo Cowboys Association, and the National Old Timers Cowboy Association (NOTRA), Don won almost 70 championship trophy belt buckles and 5 trophy saddles. These included buckles from the Boot Hill Fiesta, Dodge City Days, and the Kansas Cowboys Association, where he was state champion calf roper in 1956.

On January 14, 1951, Don married his classmate Shirley Mitten. To ths union were born three children, Beckie, Tracey, and Charles. In the fall of 1953 Don entered the Army but didn't let that stop him from continuing to develop his roping skills. While at Ft. Leonardwood, Missouri he received special permission to keep a roping horse at the base and spent his free weekends during the summers of 1954 and 1955 representing Kansas at various rodeos in Missouri.

Don Hagans has always been respected amoung his peers for his honesty and integrity. He prided himself with always riding the best-trained roping horses, even though this required many long evening hours spent in his arena, after the ranch work was finished for the day. These evenings were always family time, with everyone helping out with either the calves or the stopwatch. Not only were the evening practices a family affair, but Don along with Shirley drove many miles and spent hours in their rodeo pickup traveling to ropings and rodeos.
During the 1970's Don took up team roping, and using his calf roping skills, soon became an excellent "header". He addressed his new sport with the same passion that he originally had for calf roping. As a result, Don became the National Champion team roper in NOTRA in 1981 and again in 1983. Don was a member of the Kansas Cowboy Hall of Fame and the Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame. Don retired from roping in the late 1980s. The friendships developed during the many years of traveling resulted in an extended family of close friends that lasted a lifetime.

Don continued to concentrate on his passion for cattle ranching, raising steers on the wheat and grass pastures of the Hagan's family ranch. In 1994 his efforts were rewarded by receiving the Lane County Conservation award for his stewardship of the land, grass, and water.

Don is survived by his wife of 61 years, Shirley; daughter, Beckie (John) Underwood of Southlake, Texas; son, Tracey (Debbie) Hagans of Utica; grandchildren, Cassie Underwood, Whitney (Patrick) Reynolds, Colby Hagans, and Kate Hagans; his sister Estelene (Jim) Mitten of Oakley. He was preceded in death by his infant son, Charles, his parents and brothers, Darrell and Delmer.

Funeral service will be Saturday, March 10, 2012, 2:00 P.M. at the First Christian Christian Church, Utica with burial in the Whiterock Cemetery, Pendennis. Friends may call at Fitzgerald Funeral Home on Thursday and Friday from 9 am until 9 pm with the family present on Friday from 7-8 pm. Memorial contributions my be given to the First Christian Church.