Obituary of Darrell R. Hoovestol

Darrell R. Hoovestol was born January 5, 1938 in Almont, ND and died October 6 in Boise, ID. His parents were Axel and Hazel Hoovestol. He joined 3 older brothers.

Darrell lived in the small town of Almont, ND. He moved to Mandan, ND in grade school but moved back to Almont in the 8th grade. He graduated from Almont High School in 1956. He worked various jobs after high school including the ND Highway Department and the Bureau of Reclamation. Darrell was drafted into the Army in Oct of 1961. He served most of his time in San Francisco under the Golden Gate bridge. During his time in the Army, he was a sharp shooter and won many awards. He was honorably discharged in Sept. of 1963 and enrolled in the pre-engineering curriculum at Dickinson (ND) State College. In 1965 he transferred to North Dakota State University in Fargo and graduated as a civil engineer in May of 1967. He went to work for the Bureau of Reclamation after graduation and retired in 1987.

During his time at NDSU, he met his future wife Pat Oberholtzer and they were married in De cember of 1967. They have 2 sons, Charles (Chuck)-1972 and Curtis-1974.

After retiring from the Bureau, Darrell started farming, which he dearly loved.

Darrell was many things: husband, father,grandfather, brother, uncle and friend. Darrell excelled at these traits: mechanic, builder and outdoorsman. He could fix anything-whether it was an internal combustion engine or a can opener. People would come from miles around to have him lift the hood on their car or truck. He delighted in being able to repair things. He loved the challenge.

Darrell built/overbuilt three houses for his family. From the blueprint and bare land to the finished product, he did it all including the plumbing, electrical, framing, roofing, etc. All three houses exceeded everyone’s expectations.

Darrell was an outdoorsman and a conservationist. He enjoyed hunting and fishing but he also enjoyed fostering the wildlife on his land. When he farmed, he intentionally left some of his crops standing in the field over winter for the deer and pheasants. In the spring when he plowed, he would leave strips of grass along the fences for the birds to nest. He always said that farmers make the best conservationists because they are more connected to the land than most folks.

Darrell was always willing to help people. He would stop and help someone change a tire or fix their car, he plowed many acres of sod for new neighbors to plant shelter belts, he pulled many people out of the snow and/or mud. If you needed help, he was always there to lend a hand.

After retiring from farming, he moved to Arizona in 2000 to get out of the cold and snow. He built a beautiful stucco house in Rimrock, AZ. In 2008 he decided to build a cabin in Fairfield, ID to be closer to his sons. He moved to Garden City, ID in 2011 to enjoy his new grandchil dren which he did immensely.

He was civic minded, serving on school and church boards.

He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Pat, his sons Chuck and Curtis, and his grandchildren Madelyn, Henry, Mia, and Edison. He is also survived by three brothers, Howard (Karen), Duane (Angie) and Roger (Joan); sister-in-laws Carol and Jane; and brother-in-law Michael Oberholtzer (Nancy). He was predeceased by his parents, brothers Richard, Warren and Larry, his sister Dorothy, sisters-in-laws Rachel and Patti and brother-in law Larry Tanner.

He will be deeply missed.

A Celebration of Darrell’s Life will be held for friends and family in Bismarck in June with internment at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery in Mandan, ND