Hofer, Mary L. Mendel (1903-1997)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 9 Oct p. 9; 13 Nov 1997 p. 11

Birth date: 1903

text of obituary:

SOUTH DAKOTA

■ FREEMAN

Hutterthal Menn. Church

. . .

Mary L. Hofer died Sept. 8

— Carol Peterson

13 Nov 1997 p. 11

MARY L. HOFER

Mary L. Mendel Hofer was born to Jacob J. and Marie Kleinsasser Mendel on Feb. 20, 1903. At the age of 3 she and her brother Jack were left motherless due to their mother’s heart attack, which left a lasting impression. She grew up with stepmothers and attended grade school and Freeman (S. D.) Academy.

Mary was baptized by David J. Wipf at Neu Hutterthaler Mennonite Church on July 18, 1920, where she became a member.

She married John L. Hofer on Oct. 29, 1922, then transferring her membership to the Hutterthal Church. She took part in Women in Mission, ladies chorus and wherever needed.

Mary and John had three sons, Roland, Jake and Raymond. Mary also was a wonderful grandma. They lived on the farm until 1957, when they retired from farming and moved to Freeman. Mary was head cook at Freeman Academy. After her husbands’ death on Sept. 3, 1972, she became Ray’s helper in his office until she had a light stroke and entered Salem Home for the Aged in 1986. Due to Alzheimer’s disease, she was admitted to the Freeman Nursing Home in 1989 and remained there until her death on Sept. 8, 1997.

Her last years were difficult for the family because of her illness, but she was a very sweet, kind and patient person.

Surviving are three sons, Roland and wife Mildred and Raymond and wife Joyce, all of Freeman, and Jake of Lakewood, Colo.; 13 grandchildren; two step-grandchildren; 22 great-grandchildren; a sister Rachel Regier; and a step-sister, Edna Hofer.