Gene L. Hoglund, son of Harry S. and Irene (Christensen) Hoglund, was born December 31, 1929 on the family farm in Hamlin County near Lake Norden, South Dakota. He grew up there and attended school in Lake Norden, graduating from Lake Norden High School in 1947. Gene began farming with his father before serving in the U.S. Marine Corps from December 12, 1951 to December 1, 1953. Following his discharge he returned to the farm near Lake Norden. He was united in marriage to Helen Johnson on September 18, 1954 at the Evangelical Covenant Church in Lake Norden. Gene enjoyed his children and grandchilden and all of their activities. They continued to farm on the family farm until moving into Lake Norden in 2003. He died on Tuesday, October 8, 2013 at the Lake Norden Golden Living Center at the age of 83 years.
Gene was a lifelong member of the Evangelical Covenant Church and also served on the elevator board for several years. During high school Gene participated in sports and played baseball with the Lake Norden Lakers for several years. He enjoyed golf and hunting waterfowl, pheasants and deer.
Grateful for having shared his life are his wife Helen of Lake Norden; four children, Shelley Eggebraaten, Gail Ensberg and her husband Brian, all of Sioux Falls, Rhonda Horsley and her husband Gary of Tea, SD, Mick Hoglund and his wife Shauna of Dell Rapids, SD; 12 grandchildren, Nick (Christina) Castillo, Mark Ditmarson, Lydia Osterbuhr, Marci (Jesse) Pearson, Anthony Castillo, Laura (Adam) Chandler, Sara Ensberg, Austin (Adrienne) Horsley, Abby and Nicole Horsley, and Morgan and Ty Hoglund; six great grandchildren; three sisters, JoAnn Mattheis and her husband Ken, Janet Johnson and her husband Al, all of Sioux Falls, Shirley Larson and her husband John of Lake Norden; and a host of other relatives and friends.
Gene was preceded in death by his parents, three sisters, Ruby Skoglund, Harriet Hoglund in infancy, Carol Warren, and a son-in-law David Eggebraaten.
His funeral service will be 2:00 PM Saturday, October 12, 2013 at the Evangelical Covenant Church in Lake Norden. Visitation will be from 4PM to 7PM Friday at Geise Funeral Chapel in Lake Norden.