Merle E. Lofgren

McLaughlin - Mass of Christian Burial for Merle Lofgren, 82, of McLaughlin will be at 10:30 a.m. MT on Monday, June 30, 2008, at St. Bernard's Catholic Church in McLaughlin.

Burial will be at 1 p.m. MT on Tuesday at Black Hills National Cemetery under the direction of Kesling Funeral Home of Mobridge.

Visitation will be at 5 p.m. MT on Sunday at the church with a Wake service at 7 p.m.

Mr. Lofgren passed away June 25, 2008, at Med Center One in Bismarck, N.D.

He was born March 5, 1926, to Francis and Hazel Lofgren and was raised on the family farm south of Watauga. In 1935, the family moved to McIntosh where he worked numerous jobs to help the family.

In 1944, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and was sent to the Pacific Theater. After being honorably discharged from the Navy, he enrolled in the journalism program at South Dakota State College at Brookings. He was the editor of the school newspaper, the Collegian, and was named 1949 Hobo Day King.

Upon graduating in 1949, he ran a newspaper at Lemmon for a few months, then purchased the Corson County News and Morristown World.

In the 1950s, he was chairman of the Corson County Republican Party and traveled around the state writing speeches and news releases for various candidates. During legislative sessions, he worked for Governor Joe Foss as a press liaison. He served in the South Dakota House of Representatives from 1959-1962.

During this time, he purchased the Selfridge Journal and the McLaughlin Messenger. In 1961, he married Lavone Senftner. The couple made their home at McLaughlin, where they raised their five children.

Over the years Merle won numerous journalism awards. His writings were often featured in other newspapers and many stories were done about him. He wrote several books, including two compilations of his beloved weekly column “The Top of the Hill.” In 2004, he was inducted into the South Dakota Newspaper Hall of Fame.

He is survived by his wife, Lavone Lofgren, McLaughlin; two daughters, Marian (Todd) Biederstedt, Armour, and Marsha Castellanos, Beaumont, Texas; three sons, Paul Lofgren, McLaughlin, Clark (Melba) Lofgren, Midlothian, Texas, and Jackson Lofgren, Bismarck; two grandsons and four granddaughters; as well as one brother, Myron (Sarah) Lofgren, Sioux City; and two sisters, Edna Maher, Morristown, and Lucille Tidball, Pierre.

He was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers.