Marvin Hoflund

Marvin S. Hoflund was born in Wellington, CO on March 11, 1925. He just celebrated his 86th birthday. He went to meet his loved ones in heaven on April 1, 2011 surrounded by a few of the many who loved him. Marvin was the twelfth child of thirteen born to his beloved mother, Ethel (Betty). It is a family story that he weighed thirteen pounds at birth and we believe it because he was a larger-than-life man. Of those thirteen children, only six survived to adulthood. Marvin was born on the day his oldest brother Glenn died at the age of seventeen. He was blessed to spend many of his remaining years with his older sister, Eva (Babe), who preceded him in death in 2003. His passing completes that generation in his family. He was honored to serve in World War II with his brothers James and Leo (all of them serving in the Navy) who both died in 1972. He is survived by his cousin, Norman Lesser, who is and will always remain his beloved "brother." Marvin's life was one of many challenges and yet he persevered with a smile and a song. In 1939, when the school bus he was riding on ran over and killed his baby brother, Marvin never returned to public school. At the age of fifteen, Marvin moved to Colorado to live with his brother Jim and Jim's wife, Catherine. Being a big strapping young man, he entered the construction trade and helped to build the Green Mountain Dam on the Blue River. This began his lifetime love of heavy equipment and construction. Marvin lived in Denver for a short time and rode motorcycle escort for one of the funeral homes in Denver. Shortly after, he moved to Everett, Washington with Jim and his family and his "brother" Norman. While on the coast he worked in the shipyards building floating dry docks. On August 6, 1942 in Farragut, Idaho he enlisted in the United States Navy as a Selective Volunteer. He spent the next ten months training as an electrician and a gyrocompass specialist. From Treasure Island-San Francisco he was put aboard the U. S. S. Brooks, a Fast Transport with an Underwater Demolition Team (now known as the Navy Seals) and was sent to New Guinea in the South Pacific Arena. On January 6, 1945 and near Leyte, Philippines his ship was hit be a kamikaze pilot. On leave after returning to the United States, Marvin returned to his childhood home of Fort Collins, Colorado and made his re-aquaintance with a beautiful red haired young woman. He convinced Marjorie to travel and meet him in Washington state a short while later. There they eloped, she was seventeen and he was twenty. They celebrated their sixty-fifth anniversary in August of 2010. Marvin returned to his new commission on the U.S. S. Swearer, sailed with her through the Panama Canal to Florida where the ship was decommissioned into the depths of the Saint John River. Marvin returned home after his discharge on November 6, 1946. Marvin and Marjorie lived in Fort Collins for a short time and moved to Oklahoma. In 1947, the couple returned to Fort Collins. Marvin worked for the R. E. A. Shortly after, he returned to his beloved construction trade working for Millay and McBride Construction who were building the Horsetooth Reservoir and Dam. In September of 1948, the berm on a highwall gave way, Marvin's machine tipped over and his left leg was damaged and later amputated. While this did not stop him from his love of construction, he knew he needed to explore other avenues of providing for his wife. Marvin earned his G. E. D. and through the G. I. Bill began attending the University of Colorado in Fort Collins. He worked five campaigns at the sugar beet factory to supplement his income. Marvin graduated from C. S. U. with a B. S. in Industrial Arts in 1954. He completed his student teaching at Fort Collins High School. Marvin accepted a teaching position in Granby, Colorado in August of 1954. For three years, Marvin taught and was a wrestling coach. In 1956, the couple's first child, Sandra was born. Disillusioned with teaching, the family moved to Laramie, Wyoming where Marv again worked construction. In the following years, Marv and Marge owned a gas station in Laramie. Their son Michael was born in 1958. Relocating to Riverton, Wyoming, Marvin worked for Union Carbide in the Gas Hills. It was during this time that the family was tragically affected by the death of Michael at the age of two. Marvin accepted a teaching position in Mitchell, Nebraska in August of 1961. He taught at the Sunflower Consolidated School and lifelong friends were madet here. Penny, their third child was born in Scottsbluff in 1961. The family returned to Fort Collins in 1963 where Marv began working on a graduate degree. Marvin received his M. E. D in Vocational Education in 1964. In 1965, the family moved to Grand Junction, Colorado where Marvin taught at the high school and also at the community college. In 1966, a move to Huntington, West Virginia was prompted by a job offer with the Xerox Corporation which facilitated a Job Corps program to assist women's re-entry into the work force. In 1966, the couple had their fourth child, James. The following year the family moved to Cheyenne, Wyoming when Marv began working for the Wyoming State Department of Education. He was part of a team that monitored vocational education throughout the state. After many years of wandering, the family moved into their current home in 1968. Three years later, Marvin took a position with the newly formed Laramie County Community College and retired from their employ in 1987. Marvin couldn't stay retired; in the following years he worked for Laramie County as a mowing crew supervisor and also worked for the Associated General Contractors as a training assistant. Marvin loved his family most of all, but his love of music is a large part of his legacy. He played with the Chugwater Philharmonic Stringed Quartet and played at The Life Care Center and Pointe Frontier where he spent the last couple of years of his life. When Marvin stopped singing we knew he was saving his voice for the heavenly choir. Marvin was a member of the First Presbyterian Church, the Masons, and the Shrine. Marvin was an avid outdoorsman. He loved spending time with all who wanted to hunt and fish. He loved Volkswagen Beetles and usually had three of four in various disarray while rebuilding the perfect version. His favorite place was his father-in-law's ranch just outside of Fort Collins. Marvin is survived by his wife, Marjorie, three grown children: Sandy (Tom) Blair of Laramie, Penny (Randy) Hickman of Cheyenne, and Jim (Denise) Hoflund of Laramie. His beloved grandchildren: Morgan Hoopes, Kelsey Blair, Cody Hoflund, and Ty Hoflund of Laramie, and the granddaughter he helped to raise, Conner Hoflund of Cheyenne. He was also blessed with two great-grandchildren who made his face light up: Dylan and Chloe Hoopes of Laramie. He is also survived by his "brother" Norman Lesser of California and his sister-in-law, Nell Davis of Colorado. His sister's beloved daughter, Elwanda Rhoades of Colorado has always remained very close. Marvin leaves behind many nieces and nephews, too many to name but nonetheless loved beyond words.

Service

Wednesday, April 6, 2011 1:00pm

First Presbyterian Church

220 W. 22nd St,.

CHEYENNE, WY 82001