Marilou G. Hofmeister

 Marilou Gertrude Hofmeister, 87, of Brookings, SD, formerly of Mankato, MN, has been called to rest eternally with her beloved husband of 60 years, Victor. She passed on Monday, January 21st, 2019.

Mass of Christian Burial and a celebration of Marilou's life will occur Saturday, January 26th at St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church in Mankato, at 11:00 AM. Visitation will be Friday from 4:00 PM to 7:00PM at Northview – North Mankato Mortuary, and will continue one hour prior to the Mass at the church on Saturday.

Marilou was born on July 5th, 1931, in Mankato, MN to Theodore and Clara (Hiniker) Wolfe. She grew up near Mankato, and went to work at a young age after her mother fell ill. She graduated from Loyola High School in 1949 and met Victor Hofmeister the same year at the Kato Ballroom, where they danced to the “Blue Skirt Waltz.” They were engaged in 1950 prior to Victor's enlistment in the U.S. Army and deployment to Korea, and married on April 8th, 1953, following his return from service. They began their married life in New Ulm, and welcomed their first child, Debra, in 1954. Two sons followed, Roger in 1956, and Duane in 1960.

During this time Marilou's attention focused on raising the young family. She enjoyed baking and the house often smelled of delicious sweet treats. She baked donuts, cakes, pies, cookies, and other goodies. She also canned veggies from the family's garden. In the late 1960s the family moved to Mankato, where a daughter, Heidi, and son, Brian, were born in 1971 and 1973, respectively.

Over the years, Marilou worked in a variety of jobs at a bakery, Shari Candies, and Madsen's grocery store deli department. In the late 1970s, Marilou turned to her love of children and began her own in-home daycare. Over nearly two decades dozens of young children were cared for and loved in the family's home in West Mankato. Her gift to the children was love, and their gift to her were many friendships and family connections that have remained throughout her life.

In the years following the daycare, Marilou and Victor enjoyed “retirement” by visiting with family and friends. They loved playing cards, especially Sheephead, which they taught to a number of their closest friends. Marilou continued to build new friendships at the card table following Victor's passing in 2013, and also enjoyed card games with her friends, children and grandchildren when they would visit. She loved BINGO, and received a thrill whenever she got to call out a winner.

Marilou is survived by four children: Roger Hofmeister of Tampa, FL, Duane Hofmeister of Mankato, Heidi (Colin) Evers of Brookings, SD, and Brian (Rebecca) Hofmeister of Rochester; six grandchildren, Shayna (Alex) Lohse of Chicago, IL, Connor, Logan, and Rylan Evers of Brookings, SD, and Stella and Phillipa Hofmeister of Rochester; and one great grandson, AJ Lohse of Chicago; her siblings, Dottie (Al) Beckwith, Ted Wolfe, Jr., Bonnie Friedrichs, Tony (Liz) Baynes and Rosemary (Marvin) Mock; many nieces and nephews.

Marilou was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Victor; a daughter, Debra; and an infant son, Paul; her step-mother Edna (Guentzel) Wolfe; sister, Lucille Lang; step-brother Charles Baynes; brothers-in-law Walter Lang, Jack Friedrichs, and Wallace Hofmeister; sisters-in-law Rita Wolfe and Adeline Lindberg; as well as nieces and nephews and other extended family members.