Curtis Marvin Hohn

Aberdeen: Mass of Christian burial for Curtis Marvin Hohn, 60, of Aberdeen will be 10:30 a.m. Monday, Nov. 22, 2010, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Aberdeen. Father Edward Pierce will officiate.

Curt's wishes were to be cremated, and burial of his cremated remains will be 3 p.m. Monday at St. John's Cemetery in Plankinton. Schriver's Memorial Mortuary and Crematory of Aberdeen is in charge of arrangements.

Liturgical wake service will be 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 21, 2010, at the mortuary.

Visitation will be 3-5 p.m. Sunday at the mortuary.

Friends may sign his online guest book at www.schriversmemorial.com.

A champion for South Dakota is gone. Curt passed away peacefully on Saturday, Nov. 13, 2010, surrounded by family after a long battle with cancer at Avera St. Luke's Hospital.

Curtis Marvin Hohn was born Aug. 1, 1950, to Marvin Francis and Frances Darlene (Jacobs) Hohn in Parkston. He was the eighth out of 12 children. He was raised on the family farm near Plankinton. Curt worked his way through college and graduated from Northern State University in 1972.

Curtis married Rebecca Thoreson in 1977.

As a young man, he was inspired by the work of U.S. Sen. Robert Kennedy, which influenced him to later serve on the Senate staff of U.S. Sen. George McGovern. He became executive director of United Family Farmers in 1975 and manager of the Oahe Conservancy Sub District. He played a key role in settling the controversy surrounding the Oahe Irrigation Project, which resulted in the funding and construction of alternate water projects in South Dakota. This led to Curt's work as project manager of WEB Water Development from 1983 to 1987.

Curt and his family made the bold move of uprooting from their South Dakota home and sought out other adventures in the state of Oregon. He continued to work in government and water as a facilities manager for the State of Oregon. There, he took every opportunity to explore the glorious landscapes that Oregon had to offer, including weekly road trips with his family, always taking the "scenic route."

The opportunity to return to WEB Water as general manager came in 1996, and Curt returned to a job that he truly loved and work that he was passionate about. Curt later sought political office and was the 2000 Democratic nominee for the U.S. House of Representatives for the state he called home. He faced many battles in the political arena, but always fought for the everyman.

Curt was an avid reader and lover of history. If given the opportunity, he would talk for hours upon end about it. For Curt's family, we enjoyed his stories, laughter, singing and sometimes funny impersonations. Curt was proud of his extended family and loved spending time with his daughters.

Surviving Curt are his daughter, Cassie (Raul Alvarez) Hohn of New York, N.Y.; stepdaughter, Pandora (Jay) Thomas of Champaign, Ill.; three sisters: Marlene Rollins, Norma (Terry) Sauvage and Patricia (Ralph) Kulm; six brothers: Dennis (Eileen) Hohn, Michael (Becky) Hohn, Fred (Sandy) Hohn, Darrell (LeAnne) Hohn, Rick (Janet) Hohn and Roger Hohn; one grandson, Alexander; 34 nieces and nephews; and a dear friend, Karen Green.

Curt was preceded in death by his parents and two sisters: Janice Ries and Judie Jeffrey.

This obituary was originally published in the Aberdeen American News.