Colleen Haug

Della Colleen Kingery Haug was born on Christmas Eve in Knoxville, Iowa into a very close family with three sisters and one brother. She married Don Haug and together they raised four daughters on a farm near Knoxville.

After her husband died, Colleen made the decision to come to the Iowa State University campus as a house mother for Alpha Phi Sorority. Alpha Phi was touched by an angel when Colleen Haug arrived in August 1983 to be the house mother for Zeta Delta Chapter which was housed at 2035 Sunset Drive in Ames, Iowa. For 15 years until the chapter closed in May 1998 Mom Haug was the guiding light for the hundreds of young women who called Alpha Phi their home at Iowa State University.

Day in and day out Colleen took in stride the broken hot water heater, the overflowing toilet, the cook who called in sick-or quit-the day before parents weekend. Every year for 10 months 7 days a week she managed the house. And no matter what crisis was looming in the kitchen or what time of day or night she always had time for her "girls."

No one knows how many times she got out of bed to soothe a tearful sophomore whose boyfriend had abused her-or how many times she encouraged a fearful freshman who wanted to drop out of school-or how many times she boosted the confidence of a chapter officer who was struggling to keep it all together. Those young women whose lives she touched and perhaps changed forever will never forget Mom Haug. And the alumni will never forget her either.

She always had time to sit and chat when we dropped by unannounced. She always smiled and said she was fine-even when she wasn't feeling well or hadn't slept a wink. She always asked about our children even when we forgot to ask about hers. And she never complained about her tiny room. Few people have devoted themselves so selflessly to Alpha Phi as Colleen did. When we asked how in the world she did it she said she had a strong faith that kept her going.

God gave Alpha Phi an angel in Colleen Haug-and a heroine as well. The alumnae of Zeta Delta Chapter of Alpha Phi are enormously proud to honor Colleen Haug with a brick in the Plaza of Heroines. It will forever remind us of all she did for her hundreds of Alpha Phi sisters and daughters at Iowa State University.

Submitted by Linda Carver and Karen Tow.

5/23/98