Raymond R. Hofer, 96

Raymond R. Hofer, 96, of Columbia Falls, passed away on Aug. 10, 2016, of natural causes.

Ray was born on Jan. 24, 1920, in Waterloo, Wisconsin, the son of Jacob and Lizzie (Pautsch) Hofer.

Ray was united in marriage to Margaret E. Lenius of Watertown on June 6, 1942, at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Watertown. Their loving marriage lasted for 58 years until Margaret passed away on April 30, 2000.

Ray was a graduate of Lake Mills High School’s Class of 1937. He worked at the Libby canning company during the canning season in October 1937 until he started working on his father’s dairy farm from October 1937 until March 1944. In 1944 he started working at the Milford Meadow dairy farm, at that time considered one of the nation’s largest purebred Holstein dairy herds.

Ray continued to work in farming for 25 years, when the University of Wisconsin College of Agriculture received the Milford Meadow Farm from the Blaine family in a large trust fund in 1947, which became the Emmons Blaine Research Center for holstein and crop research. He transferred to the research station in Windsor, Wisconsin, and became supervisor of the crop production. In 1977 Ray became the Agriculture Projects supervisor and station manager at Arlington Research Center, Arlington, Wisconsin, until his retirement in 1985.

After his retirement, Ray and Margaret moved to Portage, Wisconsin. They loved to go dancing, and they were part of the square dancing club in Portage for several years. They loved to play cards and being with family was very important to them. Their faith was strong and they were very involved with their church at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Pardeeville, Wisconsin, for 15 years.

Ray loved deer and antelope hunting, and for several years he would go to eastern Montana for antelope hunting with good friends or Steve. In Ray’s younger days he went bird hunting and even trained his own bird dogs. Ray and his son, Steve, spent several years deer hunting together, and he cherished this time with his son. Another sport he loved was ice fishing, and he would spend every day that he could on the ice and bring back the catch of the day.

In 2000, after his wife’s passing, Ray moved to Columbia Falls to be with his son and daughter- in-law. In 2004 Ray moved in with his son and daughter-in-law until the last few months of his life, when he moved to an assisted living home. Ray was a member to Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Columbia Falls for 16 years.

He is survived by his son, Steve (Roxann) Hofer of Columbia Falls; daughter, Patricia (Tim) Kocher of Watertown; special nieces, Doris Anderson, of Watertown, Phyllis (Donald) Strauss of Lake Mills, Wisconsin, Joyce Kuhl of Lake Mills, Mildred Zoren of Lake Mills, and Ellen Michaelis of Jefferson, Wisconsin; special nephew, Lorin (Carol) Hofer of Lake Mills; a special granddaughter, Sheila Gibson of Watertown; and several other grandchildren, great-grandchildren and several friends.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Margaret; his parents, Jacob and Lizzie Hofer; his sister Alice, and his brothers Alvin and Clarence; granddaughter Kari Wickert, and nephew Duane Hofer and his wife Shirley Hofer.

Johnson-Gloschat Funeral Home is caring for Ray and the family. A memorial service will be determined at a later date.

A special thank you to JoAnn Henry and Becky Rouser for their care for Ray over the past year and a half. The family would like to thank Frontier Hospice for their care for Ray and the family and to thank Pastor Nelson at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church for all his support and prayers.