Obituaries
Dennis Winter
Dennis Winter, 62, Hoffman, died Friday, August 29, at the Good Samaritan Society - Hoffman. Funeral services for Dennis Winter will be held at 10:00 am Thursday, September 4, at Messiah Lutheran Church in Hoffman with Pastor Steve Olson officiating. Burial will be at the Bethel Cemetery, Hoffman. Friends may call the Erickson-Smith Funeral Home in Hoffman on Wednesday from 6-8 pm; visitation will resume at the church one hour before services on Thursday morning.
Dennis was born April 9, 1946, in Fergus Falls to Lloyd and Esther (Stark) Winter. He grew up on the family farm in Elk Lake Township, was baptized on May 19, 1946, and confirmed on January 1, 1961, at Bethel Lutheran Church. Dennis attended school in Hoffman where he graduated in 1964 and continued his education at the University of Minnesota, Morris, graduating in 1968.
On June 28, 1969, he was wed to Carol Marie Olsen at Faith Lutheran Church in Westbrook, Minnesota. Following their marriage, they moved to Henning where Dennis coached and taught school and Carol taught in Bertha. During the summer months, Dennis would drive back to Hoffman to help on the farm. He also played on the town team baseball clubs in Hoffman, Kensington, and Barrett. In 1976, the couple returned to Hoffman to continue the family farm.
Dennis was an active member of his community and served on church, township, Hoffman Coop Grain, and MnVap boards, as well as serving on the school boards for the Hoffman and West Central Area school districts. He and Carol enjoyed traveling and had visited Germany twice. They also traveled closer to home to see the local sights, and attended sporting events for their sons in high school as well as in college.
Survivors include his children Jon (Tanya) of Hoffman, Tony (Amy Christopherson) of Brooklyn Park, Paul (Heather) of Omaha, NE, and Tom (Leigh Verhoeven) of Hoffman; eight grandchildren, Aiden, Ireland, Lissa, Aspen, Quinten, Teagan, Drew, and Natasha; one sister, Mary (Steve) Seim of Wheatland, WY, and one brother, Marcus (Chong Ae) Winter of San Francisco, CA; his mother-in-law Margaret Olsen of Hoffman; and many nephews and nieces.
Dennis was preceded in death by his parents Lloyd and Esther Winter, a sister, Linda, who died in infancy, and his wife Carol, who died April 28, 2006.
Arrangements are with the Erickson-Smith Funeral Home in Hoffman.
Marie Bjerke
Marie Bjerke, 81, of Hoffman, died Sunday, August 31, 2008, at the Douglas County Hospital in Alexandria. Funeral services for Marie Bjerke was held at 10:00 am Saturday, September 6, at Messiah Lutheran Church in Hoffman with the Rev. Steve Olson officiating.
Burial was in the Lincoln Lutheran Cemetery of rural Hoffman. Friends may call at the church one hour before services.
Marie Annette Bjerke was born March 26, 1927, in Hoffman to Benjamin and Esther (Mattson) Bjerke. She was baptized May 12, 1927, and confirmed June 1, 1941, at the Bethel Lutheran Church in Hoffman. Marie attended school in Hoffman and graduated from high school in 1945. She continued her education at Hamline University.
Marie made her home in Fridley where she worked at the Camden State Bank for many years. Among her interests were golfing and bowling. Upon retirement, she returned to Hoffman; she was currently a resident of the Good Samaritan Society – Hoffman.
Marie is survived by her nephew Dr. Randy Bjerke and his wife Lois of Boulder, Colorado; nieces Bobbie Starns and her husband Greg of Starbuck and Joan Johnson and her husband Ken of Ashby; grand nephews Mike Bjerke, Glen Bjerke (Maureen), Benjamin Starns (Katie), Todd Starns, Brent Johnson, and grand niece Tracy Frykman (Jared).
She was preceded in death by her parents Benjamin and Esther Bjerke, brother Marshall and sister-in-law Carmen Bjerke, and grand niece Karla Bjerke.
Arrangements are with the Erickson-Smith Funeral Home in Hoffman.
