Dr. Haege grew up and went to school in East St Louis, IL. He and his wife, Carolyn (nee Brown), were married there on February 2, 1952, at Rosemont Baptist Church and were together 56 years before her passing in 2008. Dr. Haege’s higher education began with Oklahoma Baptist University and culminated with a Doctor of Philosophy degree from Saint Louis University in March, 1974.
Dr. Haege has been a classroom teacher and Speech Pathologist at the elementary and secondary levels. He created, as organizing Director, the Perandoe Special Education District (a two-county district of Monroe and Randolph Counties). Clarence was hired as Superintendent of Freeburg School District No. 70 in 1974, a position he held for over twenty years. Upon his retirement in 1994, he could not stop. He was a speech therapist in area nursing homes. He was an instructor at McKendree College in Lebanon, Illinois, and was an instructor of English, Advanced Writing, and English Literature at Althoff Catholic High School in Belleville, Illinois.
Dr. Haege pastored and served as interim pastor and supply in many churches in Southern Illinois. His first church was Springhill Baptist Church, a rural church near Creal Springs. He served as Associate Pastor of Illinois’ largest Baptist church, First Baptist Church of Marion. For seven years, Dr. Haege was Pastor of Faith Baptist Church in Freeburg, for two years pastored the First Baptist Church of New Athens and has been interim pastor for numerous Baptist churches. He retired from active ministry while pastoring First Baptist Church of Belleville in 2006.
Surviving are his two sons, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Gregg (Sandi) Haege and Alan Haege, both of Freeburg, IL;
three granddaughters, Alexis Haege of Freeburg, IL, and Victoria and Mary Caitlyn Haege of Murfreesboro, TN;
a former daughter-in-law, Melinda Lee Haege of Murfreesboro, TN;
a sister, Ruth Leirer of Bradenton, FL;
and a cousin, Gloria Eckert of Grand Rapids, MI.
Memorials may be made to St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, Freeburg, IL. Condolences may be expressed to the family online at www.rennerfh.com.
Visitation: Friends may visit from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, December 12, 2020, at St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, 7 North Belleville Street, Freeburg, IL. Standard CDC guidelines, including masks and a limited number of visitors at any one time will be observed.
Funeral: By invitation, a funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, December 12, 2020, at St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, Freeburg, IL, with Rev. Rick Mortimer officiating. Standard CDC guidelines, including masks and a limited number of visitors at any one time will be observed.
Burial will be at St. Paul’s Cemetery, Freeburg, IL.