Carl John Hoffstedt was born in Little Falls, MN on December 19, 1943, the only child of Carl Emil and Cora (Goodrich) Hoffstedt. He was proud to be the fourth Carl Hoffstedt of Swedish heritage following Carl August, Carl Axel and Carl Emil. Carl was baptized and confirmed at Randall Presbyterian Church. He was raised on a farm near Randall and attended rural school. Even though the school went through 8th grade, he came home after 6th grade and told his parents that he was never going back. His mom, an elementary teacher, understood it was time for "town school." He was on the Little Falls High School basketball team and played town baseball each summer.
Carl attended Macalester College for two years before transferring to the University of Minnesota where he earned his BS degree in 1966 and MS degree in 1976. Carl was a civil engineer with MnDOT for 34 years, heading various departments and committees. He retired in 2000.
He and Diane Sohn married August 2, 1969 at Trinity Lutheran in Blue Earth, MN and joined Calvary Lutheran of Golden Valley. They bought their first and only home in Golden Valley in 1971. Carl played on Calvary men's basketball teams from 1971-1979. He attended countless school events, recitals, concerts, parades and athletic events for Kirsten and Brent, loving every minute. Carl coached youth soccer, basketball, Little League and Babe Ruth teams. Carl served on the GV Little League Board and was president of GV Babe Ruth. Carl coached Calvary youth basketball teams from 1982-1993 and served as Church Athletic Association (CAA) Youth Commissioner from 1993-2008.
Carl loved to plan family road trips to historical sites and national parks. Other special trips were to Alaska, Hawaii and the Scandinavian countries. When he and Diane visited the ancestral Hoffstedt farm in Östergötland, Sweden, they met many relatives. Carl completed genealogies on the Hoffstedt, Goodrich, Thorne and Cochrane families. He also documented about 20 cemeteries mainly for the Morrison County Historical Society in Little Falls during his retirement years. He loved fishing – winter and summer -- and Gopher athletics. He played Born Again Jocks softball in retirement.
Carl, who died from prostate cancer, is survived by wife Diane of 46½ years; children Kirsten (Michael) Keefe of Washington, DC and Brent Carl Hoffstedt of Maple Grove, MN; and granddaughters, Kathleen, Caroline and Hannah.
Per MN Death Certificate: prostate cancer
Carl attended Macalester College for two years before transferring to the University of Minnesota where he earned his BS degree in 1966 and MS degree in 1976. Carl was a civil engineer with MnDOT for 34 years, heading various departments and committees. He retired in 2000.
He and Diane Sohn married August 2, 1969 at Trinity Lutheran in Blue Earth, MN and joined Calvary Lutheran of Golden Valley. They bought their first and only home in Golden Valley in 1971. Carl played on Calvary men's basketball teams from 1971-1979. He attended countless school events, recitals, concerts, parades and athletic events for Kirsten and Brent, loving every minute. Carl coached youth soccer, basketball, Little League and Babe Ruth teams. Carl served on the GV Little League Board and was president of GV Babe Ruth. Carl coached Calvary youth basketball teams from 1982-1993 and served as Church Athletic Association (CAA) Youth Commissioner from 1993-2008.
Carl loved to plan family road trips to historical sites and national parks. Other special trips were to Alaska, Hawaii and the Scandinavian countries. When he and Diane visited the ancestral Hoffstedt farm in Östergötland, Sweden, they met many relatives. Carl completed genealogies on the Hoffstedt, Goodrich, Thorne and Cochrane families. He also documented about 20 cemeteries mainly for the Morrison County Historical Society in Little Falls during his retirement years. He loved fishing – winter and summer -- and Gopher athletics. He played Born Again Jocks softball in retirement.
Carl, who died from prostate cancer, is survived by wife Diane of 46½ years; children Kirsten (Michael) Keefe of Washington, DC and Brent Carl Hoffstedt of Maple Grove, MN; and granddaughters, Kathleen, Caroline and Hannah.
Per MN Death Certificate: prostate cancer
Carl John Hoffstedt was born in Little Falls, MN on December 19, 1943, the only child of Carl Emil and Cora (Goodrich) Hoffstedt. He was proud to be the fourth Carl Hoffstedt of Swedish heritage following Carl August, Carl Axel and Carl Emil. Carl was baptized and confirmed at Randall Presbyterian Church. He was raised on a farm near Randall and attended rural school. Even though the school went through 8th grade, he came home after 6th grade and told his parents that he was never going back. His mom, an elementary teacher, understood it was time for "town school." He was on the Little Falls High School basketball team and played town baseball each summer.
Carl attended Macalester College for two years before transferring to the University of Minnesota where he earned his BS degree in 1966 and MS degree in 1976. Carl was a civil engineer with MnDOT for 34 years, heading various departments and committees. He retired in 2000.
He and Diane Sohn married August 2, 1969 at Trinity Lutheran in Blue Earth, MN and joined Calvary Lutheran of Golden Valley. They bought their first and only home in Golden Valley in 1971. Carl played on Calvary men's basketball teams from 1971-1979. He attended countless school events, recitals, concerts, parades and athletic events for Kirsten and Brent, loving every minute. Carl coached youth soccer, basketball, Little League and Babe Ruth teams. Carl served on the GV Little League Board and was president of GV Babe Ruth. Carl coached Calvary youth basketball teams from 1982-1993 and served as Church Athletic Association (CAA) Youth Commissioner from 1993-2008.
Carl loved to plan family road trips to historical sites and national parks. Other special trips were to Alaska, Hawaii and the Scandinavian countries. When he and Diane visited the ancestral Hoffstedt farm in Östergötland, Sweden, they met many relatives. Carl completed genealogies on the Hoffstedt, Goodrich, Thorne and Cochrane families. He also documented about 20 cemeteries mainly for the Morrison County Historical Society in Little Falls during his retirement years. He loved fishing – winter and summer -- and Gopher athletics. He played Born Again Jocks softball in retirement.
Carl, who died from prostate cancer, is survived by wife Diane of 46½ years; children Kirsten (Michael) Keefe of Washington, DC and Brent Carl Hoffstedt of Maple Grove, MN; and granddaughters, Kathleen, Caroline and Hannah.
Per MN Death Certificate: prostate cancer
Carl attended Macalester College for two years before transferring to the University of Minnesota where he earned his BS degree in 1966 and MS degree in 1976. Carl was a civil engineer with MnDOT for 34 years, heading various departments and committees. He retired in 2000.
He and Diane Sohn married August 2, 1969 at Trinity Lutheran in Blue Earth, MN and joined Calvary Lutheran of Golden Valley. They bought their first and only home in Golden Valley in 1971. Carl played on Calvary men's basketball teams from 1971-1979. He attended countless school events, recitals, concerts, parades and athletic events for Kirsten and Brent, loving every minute. Carl coached youth soccer, basketball, Little League and Babe Ruth teams. Carl served on the GV Little League Board and was president of GV Babe Ruth. Carl coached Calvary youth basketball teams from 1982-1993 and served as Church Athletic Association (CAA) Youth Commissioner from 1993-2008.
Carl loved to plan family road trips to historical sites and national parks. Other special trips were to Alaska, Hawaii and the Scandinavian countries. When he and Diane visited the ancestral Hoffstedt farm in Östergötland, Sweden, they met many relatives. Carl completed genealogies on the Hoffstedt, Goodrich, Thorne and Cochrane families. He also documented about 20 cemeteries mainly for the Morrison County Historical Society in Little Falls during his retirement years. He loved fishing – winter and summer -- and Gopher athletics. He played Born Again Jocks softball in retirement.
Carl, who died from prostate cancer, is survived by wife Diane of 46½ years; children Kirsten (Michael) Keefe of Washington, DC and Brent Carl Hoffstedt of Maple Grove, MN; and granddaughters, Kathleen, Caroline and Hannah.
Per MN Death Certificate: prostate cancer
Inscription
Back of stone:
(Carl traced the family name to Anders Johansson in the Ekeby parish, Östergötland, Sweden. In 1777 Anders took the name Hoffstedt from the farm name, Håfgården, when he became a soldier in Sweden. Carl designed the stone to depict his family tree.)
HOFFSTEDT
ANDERS 1758-1804
PETTER 1795-1874
CARL AUGUST 1835-1886
CARL AXEL 1863-1935
CARL EMIL 1898-1969
CARL JOHN 1943-2016
BRENT CARL 1975
