Clifford ‘Buzz’ Saugstad

Dec. 20, 1912-April 29, 2008


Clifford E. “Buzz” Saugstad, 95, formerly of Minot, died Tuesday, April 29, 2008, at his home in Corvallis, Ore.

Buzz was born on Dec. 20, 1912, to Edward Tillman and Margaret (Enger) Saugstad on the family farm a few miles southeast of Minot. He became a farmer himself, living close to his parents’ and older brother Stan’s place until he retired.

He married Barbara Leighton in 1939 and they had three children. Barbara died in 1961 and he remarried in 1963 to Mabel “Toots” Schmidt, a widow with two young children.

Buzz was a skilled farmer who designed and built much of his farm equipment. During World War II he spent his winters as a welder at Kaiser Shipyards in Vancouver, Wash. He built several of the structures on his farm, including an addition to the house, a garage/workshop and a suspension footbridge across the Mouse River which flowed past the farm yard. He became serious about photography in his 50s, built his own darkroom and took great pleasure in developing his own pictures. He specialized in black and white landscapes and was hired by a real estate company for aerial photos.

Buzz was always interested in politics. He was a precinct committeeman for the Democratic Party for many years and a member of the Farmers Union. He was a self educated, widely read man, interested in history, economics and science, whose house was full of books. He was always proud of the letters he exchanged with John Kenneth Galbraith, Jr.

Buzz and Toots moved to Enumclaw, Wash., when he retired. They enjoyed RVing, and traveled all over the country. When he was 80 they moved again, to Spring Valley, Ariz., close to the desert that he loved to visit and photograph. A few years later they returned to Minot. Toots died in April 2005 and Buzz moved to Corvallis to be near his oldest daughter.

He is survived by: his children, Karen Herold of Corvallis, Sue Robbins of Sacramento, Calif., Mark Saugstad of Tacoma, Wash., Jack Schmidt of Wilkeson, Wash., and Mabel Jo Tollenaar of Federal Way, Wash.; six grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

At his request there will be no public memorial service.