The Mass of Christian Burial for Lee R. Hoff, age 69 of Elgin, will be held at 10:30 am, MT, Tuesday, April 7, 2015 at St. Theresa's Catholic Church in Carson. Fr. Dennis Schafer will officiate with burial in the Carson Cemetery. A Rosary and Prayer Service for all family and friends will be held at 7:00 pm MT on Monday evening at St. Theresa's Catholic Church.

Visitation will be held from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Monday, April 6, 2015 at the Evanson Jensen Funeral Home in Elgin.

Special music will be provided by Jackie Stewart, Patsy Hertz, and Bruce LeBeau.

Serving as Honorary Pallbearers are Lloyd Klein, Warren Opp, Terry Haberstroh, Guy Warren, Mark Hoffman, Dan Ackerman, and "past friends" Bob Hehn and Augie Schock. Serving as Active Pallbearers are Jim, Bob, Dave, and Wayne Hoff, John Dinneen, Joe Miller, and Michael Gibbons.

Lee Rudolph Hoff was born February 25, 1946 in Elgin, ND, the youngest of seven children born to Lee and Elizabeth (Froehlich) Hoff. He grew up on a sheep and cattle ranch south of Leith on the Cannonball River. Lee attended Catholic boarding schools in the area and graduated in 1964 from St. Gertrude's High School in Raleigh, ND. He attended Carroll College in Helena, MT for one year and a year of college in Kansas at Dodge City Junior College. While attending college in Kansas he met Karol Depperschmidt, who was working at the local ice cream shop Lee frequently visited. On December 28, 1968, Lee and Karol were united in marriage at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Ness City, KS.

Lee and Karol lived for a short time in Kansas and then in May of 1969 moved to North Dakota, where Lee worked with his brother Jim. He also worked for area farmers and ranchers moving haystacks and baling hay. Lee also operated the Leith Bar for a few years. He worked for many years as an over the road truck driver, and after hauling numerous loads of bees to California, he became interested in the beekeeping business. In 1994, he and Karol started their own apiary named LKB's Inc. Over the next 18 years he built it into a very successful beekeeping operation until selling the business in 2012. Lee was self-employed most of his life and always worked hard to support his family. Even after he retired he continued to work part-time in the summers driving truck.

Lee enjoyed fishing, especially his trips to Canada, playing cribbage and pool. He and Karol spent the winter months in Mesa, AZ after they retired. While in Arizona he enjoyed trail riding on his ATV with his friends and family at the sand dunes and numerous area trails. Lee's greatest joys were his two daughters and grandson. His greatest legacy to his children is his strong work ethic, positive attitude in life, laughter, and sense of humor. Lee loved spending time with his family, and he especially loved watching his grandson play hockey and soccer. Lee also enjoyed socializing with his many friends over coffee or a beer.

In November of 2013, he was diagnosed with melanoma. Lee passed from this life on Thursday, April 2, 2015 at the St. Alexius Medical Center in Bismarck at the age of 69 years, 1 month, 7 days.

Keeping him in their fondest memories are his wife of 46 years, Karol, two daughters and two sons-in-law, Michele "Shelly" and Mike Selby, Woodbury, MN; Lea and John Sterling, Zimmerman, MN; a grandson, Andrew Michael Selby; two sisters, Lee Ann Hoff, Boston, MA, Marie Hoff, Bismarck, ND; and a sister-in-law, Judy Hoff, Bismarck, ND; and numerous nieces, nephews, and a host of friends.

Lee was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers, Jim and Ken, and two sisters, Eileen, who died in infancy, and Bernadine.

Memorials have been established to St. Theresa's Catholic Church in Carson, and to a melanoma cancer research fund.