Obit: Hoffman, Herman W. III (1931 - 2018)

Transcriber: Robert Lipprandt
bob@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Connors, Graham, Hagen, Hoffman, Leffel, Ruben, Turner

----Source: The Tribune-Phonograph (Abbotsford, WI) 12/30/2018

Hoffman, Herman W. III (9 AUG 1931 - 27 DEC 2018)

Herman W. Hoffman III, 87, Stratford, passed away on Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018, at Marshfield Medical Center.

A funeral service was held at 11:30 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 31, 2018, at Ebenezer United Church of Christ, Stratford, where the visitation was from 9 a.m. until service time. Rev. Doris Ruben presided. Burial took place in the church cemetery where military rites were conducted by the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2227 of Colby, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6352 of Stratford. Sauter/Rembs Funeral Home, Stratford, assisted the family.

Herman was born on Aug. 9, 1931, in the Town of Cleveland, Marathon County, to Herman II and Lida (Hagen) Hoffman. He attended Stratford area schools. Herman worked as a farmhand, milk hauler and cheese factory worker until 1952, at which time he was drafted into the United States Army to serve in the Korean War. He took basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., and further trained eight weeks at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, as a mechanic and operator of heavy construction equipment. He was then deployed to Germany where he served as assistant motor sergeant until Dec. 1953. Returning to civilian life, Herman worked as a service station attendant and later operated his own Pure Oil Station in Greenwood where he met his wife, Gloria Updyke.

They were married on Oct. 22, 1955. They moved to Owen in 1958, and he worked in the feed mill business in Owen, Thorp and Gilman until 1963. They then moved to Colby where he was general manager at Harmony Co-op until 1970. He was then employed at Cherokee Garage in all capacities until retirement in 1993.

Herman enjoyed building and racing stock cars, bowling, hunting, fishing and camping, and was an avid woodworker. He was a lifetime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. The Hoffman’s moved to Rhinelander in 1993 and there he was employed as a school bus driver.

Herman is survived by his wife of 63 years, Gloria; their children, Pauline K. (Joseph) Connors, Laurene A. (Mark) Turner, Colleen M. (Bruce) Graham, Joeline J. Hoffman and Herman N. (Petra) Hoffman IV. He is also survived by 17 grandchildren; and 18 great-grandchildren. He is further survived by a sister, Lenora Leffel; and a brother, Lyle Hoffman.

He was preceded in death by his parents and ten brothers and sisters.

Condolences may be sent online to www.rembsfh.com.