Evelyn Hovland

Evelyn Eileen (Rust) Hovland was born on October 6, 1920, in Lismore, Minnesota to William and Irene (Knips) Rust. She was the first born of four children and grew up on a farm near Lismore. Evelyn went to grade school in Lismore and graduated from Adrian Public School in 1938.

Evelyn was married January 17, 1942, at the Presbyterian Church in Wilmont, Minnesota to Leo Hovland. The couple was blessed with four children, Jimmie, Larry, Danny and Jill. The family lived in several communities before settling in Alexandria, Minnesota in 1957. Evelyn held a variety of jobs. She did housework for neighbors and relatives, worked at an A&W in Denver, CO and on family farms in Minnesota, was an egg candler in Alexandria, and spent over 17 years as a nursing assistant at Bethany Home, working nights on the very floor where she lived out her last years.

Evelyn enjoyed sewing, knitting, crocheting, photography, cooking, traveling and visiting family.  She also was a very active volunteer at First Congregational Church, U.C.C. Evelyn was very creative and generous and made countless sets of doll clothes, baby bibs and other handmade items for church bazaars and her family.

Evelyn passed away peacefully on Thursday, March 01, 2018, at Bethany Home in Alexandria at the age of 97. She is survived by her sons, Jim (Lynn) Hovland, of Tampa, FL and Dan (Marlene) Hovland of Willmar, MN; daughter, Jill (Bryan) VandenBosch of Orange City, IA; daughter-in-law, Judith Hovland of LaFayette, GA; 15 grandchildren; 4 step-grandchildren; 33 great-grandchildren; and 1 great-great-grandchild; sister, Lois Nienkerk of Fairmont, MN; sister-in-law, Marilyn Rust of Springdale, AR; and several nieces and nephews. Evelyn is preceded in death by her husband, Leo; son, Larry; parents, William and Irene Rust; infant sister; brother, Kenneth Rust; and brother-in-law, Merle Nienkerk.

Memorials are preferred to Hospice of Douglas County or the First Congregational U.C.C. in Alexandria.

A Funeral Service will be held 11:00 AM on Monday, March 5, 2018, at the First Congregational U.C.C. in Alexandria.  Visitation will be held from 3-5 PM on Sunday, March 4, 2018, at the Anderson Funeral Home and for one hour prior to the service at the church on Monday.