Phyllis Marie Hoecke

Obituary

Phyllis Marie Hoecke was born August 21, 1920, in Grafton Township, Sibley County, Minnesota, the first child of Arthur and Lillian (Macheledt) Klucas. She was baptized as an infant at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Buffalo Lake, and was confirmed in her faith there as a youth. Phyllis grew up in Grafton Township, and graduated from the Buffalo Lake High School with the Class of 1938. She continued her education at business school in Minneapolis.

Phyllis met the man she would marry when he came to work on the Klucas family farm. She married Reuben Hoecke on February 5, 1944, and they settled on their farm northeast of Hector. They were blessed with two children, Gene Allen and Paula Marie. Phyllis loved being a Mom while helping run the family farm operation. Phyllis and Reuben had shared 66 years of marriage when Reuben passed away on June 30, 2010.

Phyllis was active in the activities in both the St. Paul’s Lutheran and First Lutheran Churches in Hector. She was also a volunteer for the March of Dimes. She and Reuben loved music and loved to dance, with ballroom dancing at the Gibbon Ballroom her favorite outing. Phyllis was a super Mom and Grandma, doting on the kids as they grew up, and attending hundreds of events supporting her kids and grandkids. She loved her large flower garden on the farm, and especially the butterflies that would gather there. She became a collector of butterfly pins. Phyllis loved her family, and was inseparable from her beloved dog, Cookie.

Following a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s in 2007, Phyllis moved to be close to her daughter, and spent the last 11 years of her life in the Memory Care Unit in the CentraCare Health - Melrose Pine Villa Care Center.  Early Tuesday morning, June 5, 2018, she peacefully passed away there, having reached the age of 97 years. Blessed be her memory.

She is survived by her Daughter, Paula Prill, of Spicer, MN;

Grandsons: Jordan Prill of St. Cloud, Skyler Prill of St. Cloud, Bradley Hoecke (Paula Spencer) of Redwood Falls, and Brandon Hoecke Crooks (Valerie) of Redwood Falls;

Great-Granddaughter, Nikita Hoecke; Great-Grandson Jedidiah Hoecke Crooks;

Brother Keith Klucas;

nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, cousins, other relatives, and friends.

Phyllis was preceded in death by her Parents, Lillian and Arthur Klucas, Son Gene, Husband Reuben, Sister Connie DeMuth, and Brothers, Roger Klucas and Quentin Klucas.