Peter Bernhard HOVLAND

HOVLAND, DAHLBERG, JOHANSEN, VEVLE, WATNE, WISHART, WHYTE

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 2/10/2024 at 13:06:42

Peter Bernhard Hovland

February 27, 1884 ---- May 26, 1979

Peter B. Hovland of Eagle Grove passed away Saturday morning, May 26, 1979, at the age of 95 years and 3 months. Peter was born in Norway to Ole and Bertha Johansen Hovland on Febr. 27, 1884. His family then moved to the United States when he was a baby. Peter attended school at Thor and then went on to Iowa State College and Jewell Lutheran.

Peter married Sophie Vevle of Eagle Grove in 1908 and together they had six children, three sons and three daughters. They lived on a farm outside of Eagle Grove. Sophie passed away in 1924. Peter was remarried on August 21, 1935 to Marie Dahlberg of Eagle Grove. Peter was the Rural Route Mail Carrier of Eagle Grove for 40 years till he retired at the age of 70.

He was the choir director of the Eagle Grove Evangelical Lutheran Church for 54 years, a member of the Choral Union, (Eagle Grove Circuit) for 25 years. He also founded the Fellowship Group, formally known as the Hovland unit.

Those who mourn his departure are his wife, Marie; three sons: Reuben Hovland of Northridge, Calif.; Harold Hovland of Sherman Oaks, Calif.; Kenneth Hovland of Vernon, Conn.; three daughters: Bernice Watne of Eagle Grove, Mrs. Conger (Pearl) Whyte of Goldfield, Mrs. Bill (Verna) Wishart of LaPalmer, Calif.; one brother, Wendall Hovland of Eagle Grove, 23 grandchildren and 34 great grandchildren. Preceding him in death are his parents, his first wife, Sophie, and two grandchildren, Peter and Roger.

EAGLE GROVE EAGLE --- Eagle Grove, Iowa
May 30, 1979

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Hovland dies; funeral Tuesday
P. B. (Pete) Hovland, 95, prominent Eagle Grove pioneer, died Saturday at Trinity Regional Hospital. Funeral services were held Tuesday, May 29, 1979, 1:30 p.m. at Evangelical Lutheran Church, Rev. Marvin Berkeland officiated. Interment at Rose Hill Cemetery.

Retired in 1954, Hovland had been a rural mail carrier for the United States Postal Service for 44 years. He also directed the choir of the Eagle Grove Evangelical Lutheran Church for 50 years. Born in northern Norway, Hovland came to United States with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ole Hovland, as an infant. They settled one mile east of Thor where he attended rural school. He later moved from Thor to Eagle Grove with his parents. He clerked in the old Duer and Foll grocery store before he took the job as rural mail carrier. It was said that Hovland took the post office motto that the - "mail must go through", literally. Depending on weather and condition of the mud roads, he delivered mail by buggy, cart, wagon, sleigh, or even a motorcycle and he has been known to walk to complete his route.

EAGLE GROVE EAGLE --- Eagle Grove, Iowa
May 30, 1979