Florence E. Hoff

September 3, 1940 - August 2, 2023

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Memorial services for Florence Ethel Hoff, age 82, of Lemmon, SD, will be held on Thursday, August 10th at 10:30 a.m. at the Spencer Memorial Presbyterian Church in Lemmon, SD.  Lynn Hall and Florence's son, John Hoff will officiate the service with a reception to follow. The burial will be held at a later date.

She was born Florence Ethel Hopkins on September 3, 1940, to John and Iola Hopkins on the family dairy farm in Wilmot, South Dakota.  She was the first of three children.

Later, she attended Northern State University in Aberdeen where she graduated in 1960 with a certification in teaching. After graduation she landed a job teaching 6th grade in Lemmon, South Dakota where she would meet her future husband, "Joe" Hoff. In 1962 she married Joseph Nicodemus Hoff. Joe had two children from a previous marriage, Douglas (8 years old) and Sheila (6 years old). Soon after Joe and Florence added two more children to their family - John Joseph in 1965 and Lorilei Dawn in 1966.

During the 1980s she and her husband were proud foster parents to nearly twenty children that became a part of her family over the next decade. All of them touched her and Joe's lives and made their family richer for the experience.

She loved to care and nurture. She enjoyed spending hours outside in her garden, tending to crops of fruits and vegetables, as well as keeping the many birds and squirrels that visited her yard well-fed. The most fun was when she spent time out in the garden with her grandkids. She loved being a grandmother, always baking bread, cookies and treats to feed her family and any lucky visitor that dropped by. Her grandchildren will always remember playing in the backyard and grandma making home-made ice cream on the back porch in the summertime.

Florence had a strong faith that was instilled in her by her parents. So at mid-life she decided to follow the path to become a lay pastor. She was the lay pastor in Bison at the Presbyterian Church for 22 years. Many friendships were built there and continued to the day she passed.

As she became more involved in her church work, other passions began to stir. She started a food pantry in Spencer. She was very proud of her work there and of the help she was able to give to folks in need. She will be remembered as a loving mother, wife, grandmother, sister and friend.

Florence passed away on Wednesday, August 2, 2023 at the hospital in Hettinger.

She is survived by her sons, John Hoff (Fionna Harrington) Farmington, NM, and Douglas (Joyce) Hoff, Regent, ND; daughters, Lorilei (Bart) Damjanovich, Lemmon, SD and Sheila (Mike) Hellman, Glen Ullin, ND; grandchildren, Logan Robinson, Gabe Hoff, Sarah Hoff, Ben Hoff, Jenna (Derek) Galt, Sierra Sattler, Stephanie (Kyle) Johnson, Kylie (Sam) Schaaf, Christa (Jason) Hellman, Rachael (Justin) Hankin, Cordell (Abbey) Hoff, Todd Hoff, Steven (Hailey) Hoff; five great-grandchildren; special foster daughter, Sandy Hosman-Christman (Levi) and their children, Trevor and Stacia Christman; sister, Linda (Chuck) Hanhart, Noblesville, IN; brother, Wayne (Diane) Hopkins, Wilmot, SD; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and all past foster kids.

Florence was preceded in death by her parents and her husband Joseph.