Richard Hooge

Richard Hooge, 92, of Langdon, ND, passed away May 9, 2012, at Maple Manor Care Center in Langdon.

Richard was born April 25, 1920, the sixth of seven children of Jacob and Elizabeth (Wiens) Hooge, at their farm near Munich. The family story is that his mother wanted to call him Richard, but his father thought David was the better name, and since his father was the one who drove to town to register the birth, it was David on the certificate. But mothers have their ways, and it was Richard he was called, and Richard he remained.

As a young adult, Richard was baptized and joined the Rosehill Mennonite Brethren Church. He attended school in Alsen and graduated from Alsen High School in 1939. His father needed help on the family farm, so Richard stayed home, working for his father for the next six years. Perhaps another thing that kept him close to home was a young neighbor girl, Hilda Wiens.

Richard and Hilda were married at the Rosehill Church on October 12, 1945, and his parents retired from farming and moved to Oregon. In 1952 their daughter, Kathleen, was born, followed in 1953 by their son, James. Richard was an active member of the local community, teaching Sunday school and otherwise supporting the Rosehill Church and serving on the school board of the Alsen School. He was also on the board of the Alsen Farmers Elevator and served on the Cavalier County and Devils Lake Basin water boards.

In 1972 Richard and Hilda joined the flight of snow birds south for the winter, where they combined an interest in visiting new places with a commitment to Christian service. In 1973 they began wintering at the Rio Grande Bible Institute in Edinburg, Texas, where Richard became a very good amateur electrician, working on the numerous construction projects at the school. He also learned to identify an entire new set of crops to check out on Sunday afternoon drives in the Texas countryside. It was during this time that Richard became involved with the Gideons, a commitment that lasted the rest of his life.

In 1985 Richard and Hilda moved off the farm and into Langdon, where they joined the Emmanuel Evangelical Church. Jim and his family became the next generation of Hooges on the home place. Richard continued to farm and somewhat embraced the new technology in farming, although he could drive as straight without GPS as he could with it. He could not resist keeping a close eye on operations and providing continuing advice to Jim on how things should be done.

Hilda Hooge passed away on January 23, 1997. Richard married Eleanor (Schanz) Roder in 1998. He moved to Wheatland Estates in 2008, but remained quite active in farming, although he had to stop combining after he turned 91.

Richard is survived by his children: Kathleen (Skip) Davison of Bismarck, ND, and James (Shirley) Hooge of Munich, ND; his grandchildren Daniel (Carlye), Karen, Kathryn, David, and Shanna; and sister: Catherine Wiens of Wheatland Estates, Langdon; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, wife Hilda, sisters: Agnes, Luella Helms, and Marie Hodel, and brothers: Henry and John.

Visitation will be held on Friday, May 11, 2012 from 2-5:00 p.m. at Brooks Funeral Home of Langdon, ND with a 7:00 p.m. prayer service at the Maple Manor Care Center Chapel.

Services will be held on Saturday, May 12, 2012 at 10:00 a.m. at Emmanuel Evangelical Church of Langdon, ND.