Obituary of Mary Hofffman

On December 23, 1947, Mary Jean met Larry Hoffman, a friend of her brother Walter's at a dance held at the American Legion Hall in Mt. Angel, Oregon. Throughout their ten month courtship Larry enjoyed pursuing Mary Jean, stealing a kiss and a hug when they could and just having fun being together. They were married on October 23, 1948 at Mt. Angel, OR where they made their first home on a piece of family owned land. Mary Jean was happy to be living in Oregon with the nice green surroundings but most of all being close to her family. So when Larry told her he wanted to move to Washington to farm the family homestead in the dry, sandy area of Connell, WA she was less then thrilled, but, move west they did. Being a farmer's wife was an experience for Mary Jean but one that she not only adapted to, but made look easy. She even got used to the blowing sand and tumbleweeds the size of small animals. Mary Jean and Larry started their family in 1949 when they welcomed their first of eleven children, nine girls and two boys, from 1949-1965. Mary Jean's husband, children and grandchildren were her life. She was never happier than when all of her family was around her and she could take care of them, cook for them. The family always joked that Mary Jean was a champion worrier she worried about who might be hungry, if the weather conditions were okay for her family to travel in, to if there was enough gas in the car when it got down to half a tank! Mary Jean was preceded in death by her parents and two brothers. She is survived by her husband Larry, her eleven children; Dianne (Bill) McRoberts, Ruth (Jory) Gessner, Irma (Alan) Kent, Toni (Alan) Hille, Bill (Kathy) Hoffman, Mary (Robert) Jessop, Monica (Rod) Van Hollebeke, Connie (Kirk) Hille, Martha (Craig) Miller, Larry Jr. (Toni) Hoffman Jennifer (Jim) Dolezal. Thirty-eight grandchildren, thirty-eight great-great grandchildren, one sister, two brothers and numerous nieces & nephews. Please join the Hoffman family in a celebration of Mary Jean's life, a viewing will be held April 23, 2010 from 5-7pm with a rosary service immediately following at St. Vincent De Paul Catholic Church in Connell. Funeral services will be on Saturday, April 24th, 2010 at 2:00pm at St. Vincent De Paul Catholic Church with a burial service at Mountain View Cemetery, Connell immediately following the funeral service. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to St Vincent Alter Society Po Box 1030 Connell Wa. 99326 or The Chaplaincy 2108 W. Entiat Kennewick, WA 99336. Services are in the care of Danekas Funeral Home, Othello. Please visit the online guest book and leave a note for the family at www.danekasfuneralhome.org