Clarence Hoekstra

 Clarence Hoekstra, age 64 of Wilson, Wisconsin died peacefully at home surrounded by his loved ones on Sunday, May 3, 2020.

A gathering of family and friends and a Celebration of Life (respecting social distancing) will be on August 1, 2020 at 10 a.m. at the Hoekstra home in Cady Township, 3244 Co Rd N, Wilson.

A luncheon will follow the service.

  Clarence is survived by his wife Lori; children: Shannan (Joe) Haselman; Stacie Anderson; Simon (Phoebe) Hoekstra-Yang, his grandchildren:  Isaiah Randall, Dominucci Haselman, Malachi Randall, Josiah Knutson, Atanacio Haselman, Giovanni Haselman, and Jesenia Haselman, siblings: Doris (Kim) Mork; John Hoekstra; Elsie (Ray) Takle; Sally (Mike) Kirshner; and other relatives and friends.
  He is preceded in death by his father Bertrum Hoekstra, his mother Sophia (DeJong) Hoekstra and his sister- in-law Karen Hoekstra.
Clarence was born in Mora, Minnesota on January 17, 1956. A couple years later his family moved to Inver Grove Heights, MN where he grew up, and graduated from Simley High School. He went to school to be an auto mechanic, though he graduated, felt it was not his calling.
   He ended up finding his passion in carpentry which took him to Colorado for a few years with one of his best friends. There they did some remodeling on hotels, restaurants, and bought a pair of dune buggies.  He loved that dune buggy, and later so did his children. He also rescued a baby Jack rabbit while living in Colorado and raised him.
  In 1986 Clarence bought a little hobby farm in Wilson, Wisconsin.  There he was in Heaven. He updated and remodeled the old log cabin that was on the property.  Clarence added running water and electricity to the cabin. Later, he built an addition on his home with his very own hands.
  During this time Clarence and Lori had been dating off and on for many years. Finally, they decided to marry on July 14, 1991. Lori had 2 daughters she had brought into the marriage as well. Clarence loved those 2 girls as if they were his very own. Their marriage also blessed them with a son.
  Some of Clarence’s many hobbies included playing jokes on people, gardening, fishing, hunting, camping, hiking, cross country skiing through his woods, and taking care of his many animals he had through the years. He raised chickens, pigeons, ducks, geese, pheasants, pigs, rabbits, cows, horses, goats, and rescue llamas.
  Clarence was a man of the outdoors. He would tend to his flower gardens from sunup to sundown, make hay forts for his children, take his family hiking in the woods, and surprise his kids with his favorite snacks, Little Debbie Swiss Cake Rolls and a Dr. Pepper, for the break, giving rides to his children in a little trailer on the back of the lawn mower, and his grandchildren on hay rides through the fields with his tractor.
  Even in the winter he would make ice skating rinks for his children, oversized snowmen that were big chairs for sitting on, oversized snow animals for sitting on, bobsled tracks down the hill, and take his children skiing through the woods and end the skiing or sledding adventures with hot chocolate and a campfire on the hill roasting hot dogs and marshmallows.
   He will be greatly missed.

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