Agatha Hoffmann
Agatha “Aggie” Hoffmann
Agatha “Aggie” Hoffmann, 91, of Springfield, died Thursday, July 14, 2016, at Mayo Clinic Health System in Springfield. Visitation will be held Wednesday, July 20, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Sturm Funeral Home, and will continue one hour prior to service at St. John’s Home. Service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, July 21, at St. John Lutheran Home-Chapel of the Good Shepherd. Chaplain Noel Wetter and Father Phil Schotzko will officiate and interment will be in the Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Sanborn. Arrangements were with Sturm Funeral Home in Springfield. On line condolences may be left for the family at www.sturmfh.com.
Agatha “Aggie” Frances Hoffmann was born on March 22, 1925, in Willow Lake Township to Matthias and Theresa (Baumann) Heinz. After graduating from Lamberton High School, she received her two year teaching certification from Normal School in Mankato. On July 23, 1948, she was united in marriage to Melford A. Hoffmann in Watertown, South Dakota. She worked for Control Data at Redwood Falls, Petris Hatchery at Sleepy Eye, and waitressed at the Sanborn Café, and Avalon Palace (Rope and Spur). Her life’s passion of teaching began in a one-room school at Sundown Township. She then taught in Leavenworth and later at Cobden until one room schools closed. In order to continue teaching, she completed 45 credits in two years and received her Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Education from Southwest State in Marshall. Following graduation in 1972, she then returned to teaching at St. Anne’s School at Wabasso from 1973 until retiring in 1988. A fundamental piece of furniture in the Hoffmann house was always a quilting rack centered in the middle of the dining room. Needless to say Aggie loved quilting and throughout her life she made HUNDREDS of quilts. Many of these were gifted to her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Quilting was such a big part of her life that every year her sixth grade students created a class quilt. In the summer you would often find Aggie out in her beautiful flower garden. From this garden she provided elaborate boutonnieres, corsages, and table arrangements for special events like the Sanborn High School Homecomings. Mom had the best mums!!! Everyone was welcomed into Melford and Aggie’s home. Food was always, ALWAYS provided as Aggie was a gifted cook. She would look into the refrigerator in a minute’s notice and put together a delicious meal that left everyone with a full stomach and smile. :)
Other hobbies of Aggie’s included reading, as well as reading to others, fishing, playing B-I-N-G-O, cards and board games, going to auctions and garage sales (an early “American Picker” and a do it yourselfer before our time), but most of all, loved defeating Melford at her favorite game. . . Chinese Checkers. Aggie spent time volunteering for the American Legion Auxiliary Club, raising funds for the local school band with the School Band Mothers Club, and filling grocery bags for those in need at Fair Share in Redwood Falls.
She is survived by her children - Connie Lewis Cotten of Roseville, Dean (Jane) Hoffmann of Sartell, Gwen (Keith) Nardinger of Red Wing, Keith (Carol) Hoffmann of Staples, Jo (Jack) Reiner of Sanborn, and Angie (Tim) Walter of Roseville; 18 grandchildren; 28 great-grandchildren; sisters-in-law - Delna (Arvid) Redman of Sanborn, and Elaine Hedman of Lamberton; many nieces and nephews; friends Helen Valentien, Evelyn “Evie” Saffert, and many more residents and staff from St. John Lutheran Home.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; sisters - Mathilda “Tillie” (August) Grossman, Helen (Edward) Riley, Irene (Vincent) Jenniges, and DeLores (Jerome) Swenson; a brother - Raymond Heinz; grandson-in-law - Scott Irwin; and sister-in-law - Arliss Hoffmann and 1/2 sisters-in-law – Vinetta (Leonard) Wiese, Mabel (Hank) Bloemke and Dorothy (Harry) Bittler.