Mike Hovde

Mike Hovde, age 53, Willow Lake/Vienna community, died in the Sanford USD Medical Center on Saturday afternoon, March 3, 2018 after a sudden illness.

Visitation will be held on Friday, March 9, 2018 from 4 to 7PM at the Willow Lake Gym in Willow Lake. A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, March 10, 2018 at 2PM in the Willow Lake Gym with The Reverend Bryan Taffe officiating.  Music will be provided by Dorothy Fuller and Cutler Michalski.  The casketbearers will be Zach Hovde, Austin Page, Brian and Scott Hovde.  Burial will be at a later date in the Good Hope Lutheran Cemetery and will be private.

He was born Michael Dean Hovde on December 26, 1964 at Memorial Hospital in Watertown, the son of Kurwin Sigurd and Mary Helen (Swanson) Hovde.  Mike attended kindergarten in Clark and then all 12 grades at Willow Lake, graduating in 1983.  Mike had lived in Illinois, Clark, Watertown and the past several years near Vienna.

Mike lived in the Clark area, working at an elevator and managed the Whiskey River Feedlot.   On June 22, 1991 he was united in marriage to Michelle Stickle, to this union two children were born, Zachary Michael in 1993 and Savannah Michelle in 1994.

On September 29, 2001 he was united in marriage to Cheryl Berens.  They lived on a farm near Willow Lake/Vienna since that time.  Maggie Lea was born to them in 2003.  Mike custom-fed cattle, and owned and operated Hovde Gravel Construction.

In the community Mike was a member of the Good Hope Lutheran Church where he served on the Church Council and the Good Hope Cemetery board, the board of Clark Rural Water, the Rusty Nail Board, and had served for many years on the Vienna Fire Department, and the Willow Lake Community Daycare Board.  Another passion of his in the community was the Willow Lake Alumni, something he was very proud of.

In his free time, he thoroughly enjoyed NASCAR racing especially being a fan of #24 – Jeff Gordon and #48 – Jimmie Johnson, loved talking on the cellphone with family and friends, camping, boating – especially pulling kids on the tube, and playing softball.  Over the years he loved spending countless hours with family and watching his children participate in sports and activities.

Preceding him in death were grandparents, Sigurd & Elnora Hovde, Jay Swanson, Dick & Helen Nehls, and an uncle Kenny Swanson.

Survivors include his wife Cheryl, children, Zachary, Savannah (fiancé Austin Page), and Maggie.  Also surviving are his parents, Kurwin (Kay Mahlen) Hovde and Mary (Larry Redlin) Hovde, and siblings, Scott (Connie) Hovde and Brian (Sandra) Hovde.  A host of cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and in-laws also survive along with many friends.

Memorials in his memory in lieu of flowers would be appreciated to the Willow Lake Alumni Association or the Good Hope Lutheran Cemetery Fund.

Funeral arrangements are with the Furness Funeral Home at Clark where there is an on-line registry at www.furnessfuneralhome.com