Sara Ann Moen

Sara Ann (Harvala) Moen, age 52, passed away peacefully on July 27, 2026, surrounded by the family she loved so deeply.

Sara was born on January 31, 1974, in Moorhead, MN, to the late Richard Sr. and Joan (Keeping) Harvala. She graduated from Detroit Lakes High School with the Class of 1992 and went on to attend Moorhead State University. Soon after, Sara chose to focus on building a home and a life with her soulmate.

On March 18, 1995, Sara was united in marriage to Brad Allen Moen at Grace Lutheran Church in Detroit Lakes, MN. Together, they shared 31 years of unwavering love, enduring strength, and deep devotion to each other and their family. Early in their marriage, Sara worked at the Speedway Steakhouse in West Fargo, where her hard work and leadership saw her rise from server and hostess to restaurant manager. In 2001, the family relocated to Brainerd, MN. While raising her young family, Sara earned her Associate Degree in Accounting from Central Lakes College, followed by her Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from The College of St. Scholastica. She applied her talent for numbers at TEAM Industries until 2015.

Wanting to be closer to beloved family and friends, Sara and Brad returned to Detroit Lakes. She went on to work for Lincoln Financial in Perham and later Accessories Unlimited in Lake Park, remaining dedicated to her work until health challenges required her to rest.

Above all else, Sara’s greatest joy and proudest achievement was her family. She was blessed with four beautiful daughters: Deanna in 1995, Alycia in 1996, Lindsey in 2002, and Abigale in 2003. Sara was a fiercely devoted, doting mother and wife. She put her family first in every situation, often putting her own needs aside for those she loved. She was the life of the party, fun-loving, wonderfully stubborn, and a loyal friend to all who knew her. Sara loved spending time at Strawberry Lake, relaxing on the lake lot, and going camping, so long as it was "glamping" in a camper with a few comforts rather than roughing it in a tent. She was an avid reader, a lover of complex jigsaw puzzles, needlepoint, and diamond painting. Sara also cherished her role as an aunt and adored every one of her nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews.

In 2015, Sara was diagnosed with severe breast cancer. What followed was a heroic, 11-year journey that displayed her immense courage, determination, and unbreakable will to live. Even when facing daunting prognoses, Sara defied the odds time and again, turning a four-month outlook into five additional years of cherished memories with her husband and daughters. She fought cancer with everything she had and ultimately proved stronger than the disease. Following a sudden heart attack and acute complications, Sara passed into rest peacefully, having spoken her final words of love to her husband just hours before. She will forever serve as an inspiration of bravery, love, and resilience to all who knew her.

Sara was preceded in death by her parents, Richard Sr. and Joan Harvala; stepfather, Tom Atkins; grandparents, Alice & George Keeping, Eugene & Margret Harvala, and Anna Siedschlag; father-in-law, Richard Moen; sister, Richelle Monson; brother, Mike Harvala; nephew, Zachary Asleson; and her many beloved aunts and uncles.

She is survived by her devoted husband, Brad Moen; her four daughters, Deanna Moen, Alycia Moen, Lindsey Moen, and Abigale Moen; her mother, Linda Atkins; stepfather, Curt Johnson; mother-in-law, Cheryl Moen; siblings, Angela Harvala-Asleson, Diana Carlson, Richard (Stacie) Harvala Jr., and Daniel (Dee) Harvala; sister-in-law, Jill (Kelly) Park; along with numerous cherished nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, extended family, and a host of dear friends.

Service Details

• Visitation: Monday, August 3, 2026, from 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM at David-Donehower Funeral Home in Detroit Lakes, MN.
• Funeral Service: Tuesday, August 4, 2026, at 11:00 AM at Trinity Lutheran Church in Detroit Lakes, MN, with visitation starting at 10:00 AM prior to the service.
• Burial: Tuesday, August 4, 2026, at 3:00 PM at Aal Lutheran Cemetery in rural Hillsboro, ND.