Services for Hilda Hovland

Hilda Hovland, 100, of Bemidji, MN died Wednesday, March 18, 2015 at GoldPine Home, Bemidji.

Memorial services will be 2:00 p.m., Tuesday, April 14, 2015 at First Lutheran Church with Pastor Linnea Papke-Larson officiating. Arrangements were entrusted to the Olson-Schwartz Funeral Home, Bemidji.

Hilda Mae Flaming was born February 18, 1915 in Oklahoma to Peter and Mary (Schmidt) Flaming. Life was not easy for Ma. Growing up a teenager during the great depression, riding a horse to school. Life was important to Ma. I know, cause she sure did take care of my brother and myself. Getting married so young and losing her husband in World War II. With 2 young boys to take care of she moved to Minnesota where my dad’s relatives lived. We settled in Thief River Falls, living with my grandparents. Ma got a job with Montgomery Wards. After a few years, she married my dad’s younger brother. That turned out to be the best for all of us. We then moved to McIntosh where my step-dad was employed by a construction company, Hoggenson and Tranby. Ma always stayed busy. She worked in a dry goods store and ran a tight ship at home. She was a very good housekeeper and liked to plant flowers and a garden. I think her favorite thing would be having family and friends over for a meal. Boy that gal could cook. It didn’t matter if you had 2 people or 22 people, she would put out a good meal. Smokey and Ma bought the property on Lake Bemidji in the late 50’s as a summer retreat. In 1960 after my brother and myself had left home, Smokey and Ma moved to Minneapolis. His employer was Park Construction of Fridley. The whole country was under the IKE program to build interstate, coast to coast, north to south. While Smokey was building Interstate, Ma was doing her thing, sometimes she worked, but always was getting family and friends together. When she traveled it was always to see a relative or friends. Smokey retired in 1992 and they built a new home on the property in Bemidji. They built a home that had room for company, because Ma was not going to be without friends and relatives.

She is survived by her sons, Gilbert and Delaney (Barbara); 8 grandchildren and many great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husbands, Alvin and Smokey; 3 brothers and 1 sister.

Online guestbook at www.olsonschwartzfuneralhome.com