Hofer, Marie E. (1917-2003)

'Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 2003 Mar 17 p. 11

Birth date: 1917 Sep 8

text of obituary:

MARIE E. HOFER

Marie E. Hofer, 85, died Feb. 28, 2003, at Freeman (S.D.) Community Nursing Home. She was born Sept. 8, 1917, to Christian and Justina (Tschetter) Hofman near Bridgewater.

In 1936 she graduated from Freeman Academy. Upon her confession of faith, she as baptized on Aug. 21, 1932, and became a member of the Krimmer Mennonite Brethren Church. On Aug. 28, 1938, she married Joe Matt Hofer. After their marriage she transferred her church membership to Hutterthal Mennonite Church of rural Freeman.

They farmed in the west Freeman and Clayton areas for 36 years. Her life centered around her family, her church, community and Freeman Junior College and Academy Auxiliary. She enjoyed participating in church through teaching Sunday school, Women in Mission, and entertaining pastors, missionaries and foreign students attending Freeman Junior College.

In 1975, they retired from farming and moved to Freeman. She worked in the dietary departments at Freeman Junior College and Freeman Community Hospital. In 1979 they helped organize and open the Et Cetera Shop in Freeman, which they managed for six years. She enjoyed clerking and volunteering in the shop until 2001.

She moved to Salem Mennonite Home for the Aged in Freeman in September 2001. On Jan. 26, 2003, she was admitted to Freeman Hospital and transferred to Freeman Community Nursing Home on Feb. 4.

Survivors include two daughters, Donna Thieszen and her husband, Elmer, of Henderson, Neb., and Edie Tschetter and her husband, Larry, of Freeman; five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 58 years, Joe Hofer, on Oct. 28, 1996.