Leroy D. Hovde

LeRoy D. Hovde, age 67, a longtime resident and businessman of Willow Lake, died on Tuesday morning, March 15, 2005 in the Parkview Care Center at Bryant. Funeral services will be held on Friday, March 18 at 10:30 AM in the United Presbyterian Church at Willow Lake with the Rev.s Chester Mason and Lyle Meester officiating. Burial will follow in the Collins Cemetery at Willow Lake. JoLayne Symens will be the organist with Melanie Schmidt and Henry Johnson singing. A nephew Kevin Meester will also sing. Casketbearers will be Ryan LaBay, Dusty Hovde, Jay LaBay, Ryan Burke, Dwayne Ingalls and Jake Anderson. Honorary Casketbearers will be Emily Ingalls, Nicki Anderson, Bobby Jo Burke, Haley Dreher, Jamie & Misty Hovde, Mindy Grensberg, Ashlynn and Saylor Burke and Konner Anderson. He was born at Vienna, SD on July 30, 1937, the son of Edwin and Eltha (Larson) Hovde. He grew to adulthood in the Merton Township area attending school there. Following his school he assisted area farmers. LeRoy later moved to the Black Hills of South Dakota and worked at a sawmill until returning to Clark County. On July 28, 1957 he was united in marriage to Janice Meester at Good Hope Lutheran Church. They lived and farmed near Good Hope for a short time before moving to the Hills and then back to Willow Lake where he went to work for Brekke Hardware, which they later owned and operated. LeRoy and Janice also built the Willow Lake Grocery and operated it for 13 years. Throughout the next several years, he owned and operated various businesses in Willow Lake. His last employment was with the City of Willow Lake in the maintenance department. He was a member of the United Presbyterian Church at Willow Lake, a 30-year member of the Willow Lake Fire Department and former Ambulance personnel. He served several terms as Mayor of Willow Lake and also on the council. Some of his hobbies included collecting caps and hunting. He enjoyed horses, dogs, auction sales and spending time at Lake Kampeska on the pontoon. Grateful for having shared in his life are his wife Janice, daughters, Kathy LaBay and husband Steve, Pam Grensberg and husband Troy and a son Rick Hovde and wife Lori all of Willow Lake, 10 grandchildren, 3 great-grandchildren, brothers, Merlin Hovde and wife Phyllis of Lake Preston, Larry Hovde and wife Linda of Dell Rapids and a sister Sharon Hess and husband Dennis of Hockessin, Delaware. Preceding him in death were his parents and a sister, Janet Hovde. Visitation will be held on Thursday from 5-8 PM with a public prayer service beginning at 7PM all in the Church at Willow Lake. There will also be visitation prior to services on Friday morning. The Furness Funeral Home of Clark is serving the family. Email condolences publicly or privately at www.furnessfuneralhome.com