Gary Eugene Hoverson, age 80, passed away May 26, 2023. A memorial service will be held at 2 PM on Sunday, June 4 at Bayview Freeborn Funeral Home. Visitation will be held one hour prior to service. Burial will be at North Round Prairie Cemetery.

Gary Hoverson

Gary was born January 29th, 1943, in Albert Lea, to Julius and Stella (Amundson) Hoverson. He was a 1961 graduate of Albert Lea High School. He enlisted in the military in 1965, and completed his basic training the same year at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. He continued on to advanced police training at Fort Gordon, Georgia. He was stationed in Wurzburg, Germany until he was honorably discharged in 1967. After his military service, Gary returned to the family farm to raise dairy cattle and crops. He enjoyed fishing, hunting and bike riding in his spare time. When he was 38, Gary got out of cattle and began his career as a machinery jockey, attending hundreds of auctions along the way across the entire Midwest. Despite the hectic nature of buying and selling, Gary managed to maintain meticulous records with his notebook and voice recorder. Between auctions, he loved to travel the country on a whim with his cousins Kermit, Ricky and good friend Roger, creating many memorable adventures.

In 1999, a bad toothache brought Gary to the dentist where he met the receptionist/hygienist, Diane. On their first date, Gary brought Diane a dozen roses in a coffee can, which was quite the romantic gesture for a lifelong bachelor. They were married on Leap Day in 2000, and when asked about being married, Gary said that he would’ve gotten married much sooner if he’d known how good it was. Gary and Diane made a home together on his family Century Farm. Gary also took his job of being a Grandpa quite seriously, attending just about every sporting and musical event his grandchildren participated in throughout the years; even the minor events were important. There were many occasions “do as Grandpa says, not as Grandpa does” applied, such as sitting backwards on your handlebars riding a bike. He also shared several life lessons, such as “when riding a bike in circles, you have to go the other way to unwind.”

Gary is lovingly remembered by wife Diane; daughter Michelle (Greg) Johannsen; daughter-in-law Dana Thompson; grandchildren Davin (Erin) Thompson, Zachary Thompson (Alyssa) Thompson, Tyler (Rebecca) Johannsen, Betsy Rose (Tory) Stulen; great grandchildren Carson, Addison, Cole Thompson; Wyatt and Harper Thompson; Clint Stulen; Oliver Johannsen; sisters Harriet Nelson, and Rita (Brad) Nelson, and many loved nieces and nephews.

Preceding Gary in death are parents Julius and Stella (Amundson) Hoverson, sister Justine and Duane Van Ryswyk, brother Dennis, brother-in-law R.W. Nelson, several treasured uncles, aunts, and cousins, and son Mitchell Thompson.