Family Legacy
by Jon Hayne
Earl Hayne started Hayne Roofing. Here he is putting the first row of lock tab shingles on a farm shed.
Hayne Roofing was established in 1938 by my grandfather. Soon after, he was joined by two of his brothers. A third brother also spent most of his vacation time over the years working with the family. Not only was my grandfather’s side of the family in the roofing and siding business, but my grandmother’s side of the family as well. Two of my great uncles on my mother’s side were in the business their entire lives. One worked for United Products (our principal supplier even today) and the other owned and operated a roofing and siding distribution company in St. Paul. My dad used to tell me how much fun it was as a kid to hang out at his display at the Minnesota State Fair every year as thousands of people would walk by.
My dad was introduced to roofing at 13 years of age at a steep, old three-story house. My grandfather was asking him to bring up a pail of tar to the peak where he was perched. He was so scared the first time he climbed up to that height. He said would not have done it except that my grandfather kept telling him that it was not a big deal. “You can do it,” he yelled out. Well he did, as well as my uncle Terry and eventually most of my second cousins. Not everyone stayed in the business over the years, but it was always family that remained.
The family tradition has carried on through to me and my brothers and extended family members. Those of us at Hayne Roofing look at every job with the goal of customer satisfaction. We take pride in our ability to serve you with integrity. That is why Hayne Roofing has continued to move forward, having roofed thousands of homes in the Twin Cities over the years.
Earl's two brothers, Malcolm and Gordon, joined him. Here, Gordon is roofing in the Como area of St. Paul, where hail damaged hundreds of roofs in 1962.
Uncle Malcolm taking a break. He had a great sense of humor and used to sing a lot while he roofed. Mal sounded a bit like Dean Martin when he sang.
