Staff
In Memory of Lowell Hoff, Founder
Lowell W. Hoff
1928-2002
Lowell was raised on a family farm outside of Downing, Wisconsin, where he also graduated from High School. He served in the Army during the Korean Conflict. Following his armed forces commitment he graduated from the Milwaukee Institute of Mortuary Science. Lowell worked for various Milwaukee funeral homes before purchasing the Sellner Funeral Home of St. Charles in 1969. In 1983, his son Tim joined him at Hoff Funeral Home. In 1994, son Gary joined the firm.
Lowell was active in the St. Charles United Methodist Church, Lions Club, and the Osman Temple of the Shriners. With the Shriners he enjoyed being a part of local parades with his 1970 Ford XL convertible. Lowell died Memorial Day morning of 2002 with his American Legion uniform set out on his changing chair for him to wear in that days parade. Lowell is survived by his wife Joan, three children Lori, Tim and Gary and 12 grandchildren. We miss you, dad.
Tim and Jenny Hoff
tim@hofffuneral.com
jenny@hofffuneral.com
Tim is a graduate of St. Charles High School and a 1980 graduate of the University of Minnesota, Department of Mortuary Science. Jenny is a Registered Nurse, graduating from the Rochester Community College School of Nursing in 1980. They joined Tim's father Lowell in 1983. Tim and Jenny are both involved in the Minnesota Foundation for Children, which offers Camp Amanda-Minnesota, a grief camp for school age children. Tim is past president of the Minnesota Funeral Directors Association and the Lewiston Lions Club. They have four children, Ashley, Alyssa, Danielle and Tyler. Tim serves as a funeral director, Jenny as office manager and family care counselor.
Gary Hoff
gary@hofffuneral.com
Gary is a 1981 graduate of St. Charles High School in St. Charles, Minn. He attended Winona State University in Winona, Minn. for two years and the University of Minnesota Duluth for one year. He graduated from Worsham College of Mortuary Science in March of 1985. Gary served his year of internship at the Olson - Schwartz Funeral Home in Bemidji, Minn. He then worked at Ranfranz Funeral Home in Rochester, Minn. until 1992, when he moved to Rushford, Minn. to join the family business. He is active in his community serving on the church council and in the Rushford Lions Club, where he runs the annual Rushford Lions Childrens Fund Golfathon. Gary also enjoys coaching in the Rushford Elementary Wrestling Program. Gary manages the Rushford and Houston Chapels of Hoff Funeral Homes. In his spare time enjoys golfing, cross country ski racing, water skiing, and fishing. Gary and his wife Sue have four children.
Douglas M. Hansen
doug@hofffuneral.com
Doug, a 1989 graduate of Mayo High School in Rochester, MN and 1992 graduate of Worsham College of Mortuary Science in Wheeling, IL, joined the Hoff Funeral Homes in 1996 and is in charge of the day to day operations of the Hoff Funeral and Cremation Service Hansen Goodview Chapel. He also assists at Hoff Funeral Home locations in St. Charles, Lewiston, Rushford and Houston. Prior to joining the Hoff Funeral Home he had been employed by the Ranfranz Funeral Home in Rochester, MN since his graduation from Mortuary College.
Doug and his wife, Katie live in Winona, MN where they raise their two daughters, Caitlin and Abagail, and are members of Central Lutheran Church. As of 2002, Doug obtained certification and is now a Funeral Celebrant. Doug enjoys living in Winona along the scenic upper Mississippi River where boating and fishing is his favorite pastime.
John R. Wagenaar
preneed@hofffuneral.com
John is a 1969 graduate of St. Mary's College, Winona, John Wagenar Minnesota. Prior to joining Hoff Funeral Home as pre-need counselor in 1999 he had previously spent 25 years in the insurance industry and finance company business. In 2000 he obtained his certificate as a certified pre-need counselor and continues to keep abreast of changes in both the funeral and pre-need industry. In March of 2002 he also became certified as a funeral celebrant, enabling him to meet the needs of families through personalized services where a clergy person may not be available.
John is a member of the Winona Knights of Columbus, Winona Exchange Club, Winona Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors and is a very involved member of the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church. His family includes two daughters, Wendy and Amy and two grandchildren, Kuryssa and Preston.
Chris Schwichtenberg
chris@hofffuneral.com
Chris graduated from Lanesboro High School in Lanesboro, Minn. in 1994. She attended Rochester Community and Technical College in Rochester, Minn., and is a 2005 graduate of the University of Minnesota with a Bachelor of Science in Mortuary Science. She is also a certified eye enucleator for the Minnesota Lion’s Eye Bank. Chris is a member of the Elstad Lutheran Church in rural Lanesboro, Minn. and is the mother of two children, Kennedy and Griffin. She enjoys golf and reading.
Sydney Smith
sydney@hofffuneral.com
Sydney Smith joined the Hoff Funeral Homes team in March 2009 as a Pre-Planning Specialist. Sydney was raised in Winona. She attended Clarke College and Winona State University and has a B.S. degree in Art Education and a M.S. degree in Education, with an emphasis in Art History.
Sydney wrapped her passion for art and designing into her position at Winona Printing, where she worked in customer service, sales and marketing from 1989-1997. She then owned Image Copy Print in Winona for 12 years. Her passion for communicating with people led her to Hoff Funeral Homes, where she enjoys pre-funding and pre-planning memorial or funeral services and visiting with family members for after-care.
Sydney is active with Women in Business, the Winona State University Alumni Board and the Sharon Kannenberg Foundation board for Home and Community Options.
Ashley Ulferts
Hoff Funeral and Cremation Service is pleased to announce that Ashley Ulferts has joined the firm as a Funeral Director.
Ashley graduated from St. Charles High School in 2004. She is also a 2008 graduate of the University of Minnesota earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Mortuary Science. Before joining Hoff she completed an internship at Mattson Funeral Home in Forest Lake, Minnesota and worked at Johnson Williams Funeral Car Service in Minneapolis.
Ashley and her husband Todd Ulferts have recently located to the Lewiston area. When she is not working she enjoys the Twins, Packers, going to the family cabin, hunting and golfing.
Ashley is a third generation funeral director. She is the daughter of Tim and Jenny Hoff and grandaughter of the late Lowell and Joan Hoff, all of St. Charles, Minnesota. The Hoff's have five funeral homes with locations in: St. Charles, Lewiston, Goodview, Rushford and Houston.
