Obituary of Marina F. Hohman

MARINA FRANCES HOHMAN (1923-2024)

        Marina Frances Hohman of White Bear Lake went to her eternal rest on July 8, 2024 with her loving family at her side.

Mass of Christian Burial at St Pius X Church, White Bear Lake, MN on Saturday August 10 at 11:00AM. Visitation one hour prior to the service. Luncheon to follow. Private burial services.

Born in Albany, Minnesota on December 4, 1923, Marina was the sixth of ten children born to Leo and Barbara Welle. She attended Holy Family Catholic School through the eighth grade and graduated from Albany High School in 1942. In 1942, she enrolled in the nursing program at the College of St. Catherine’s in St. Paul as a nurse cadet; graduating as a registered nurse in 1946, after the end of World War II. Released from her military service requirement, she immediately began working at St. Joseph’s Hospital as a nurse supervisor with plans to move to the East coast to become a flight attendant.

     In 1947 not long after graduation Marina went on a blind date with Roland W. Hohman (Ron) –  an Air Force veteran working as an insurance adjuster and attending William Mitchell Law School. She found him to be very handsome and after their first date confided in her roommate and best friend, Delores Tillman (Tilly), “I’ll never see him again!”  But he kept coming back and after only a few dates proclaimed that, “she was the girl that he intended to marry.”  Soon wedding plans were in the air. 

Marina and “R.W.” (his first name, which he never used, slipped her mind during wedding vows) were wed at Seven Dolors church in Albany on August 14, 1948. They honeymooned on Lake of the Woods in northern Minnesota where on a fishing trip they got lost and had to be rescued. 

The newlyweds initially settled in St. Paul. Although nurses were paid more than insurance adjusters, Marina quit working to be at home with the children after the birth of their first child, Sandra. Ron completed law school and the family briefly lived in a rented farm house near Montevideo, Minnesota, where Ron went into private practice. Their second child (William) was born there. The hunting may have been good but pay for the fledgling lawyer was meager and unpredictable. They moved back to the St. Paul area where their remaining four children – Robert (1953), Jean (1957), Elizabeth (1959) and Susan (1960) were born. The Hohman family’s last move was to White Bear Lake in 1961 and they resided on Lakeridge Drive for over 50 years. All six children graduated from White Bear or Mariner High Schools and went on to complete college degrees; two children (Sandra and Lisa) became nurses. 

Along with her husband Marina was an active member of the White Bear Lake community volunteering at St. Pius Church, an area food shelf, and the White Bear Women’s Club. She took pride in a successful project to restore and relocate the Geist Gazebo to Manitou Park in White Bear. She enjoyed creative arts especially needlework as well as golfing, gardening and playing bridge. Upon Ron’s retirement in 1984, they traveled extensively to Europe, Israel and Egypt, Mexico, China and Alaska. They spent the winters in Lake Havasu, Arizona with several of Marina’s siblings, especially Mackie (sister) and Andy Anderson where they enjoyed golfing and frequent trips to Laughlin, Nevada to play video poker. They both enjoyed hosting gatherings with their growing family on holidays and special occasions and welcoming each new grandchild.

In 1998 Ron and Marina celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary and renewed their wedding vows in the presence of family during a weekend at a northern Minnesota lake resort. 

Following Ron’s death four years later in 2002, Marina remained in the family home until 2010. She continued to enjoy travel including a church sponsored trip to the pilgrimage site in Medjugorje, to Hawaii, on mother-daughters trips to Whistler, CA, Palm Desert and Cape Cod and to Lake Havasu with her sisters. She eventually downsized and moved into a senior living apartment complex in Maplewood, followed by St. Andrews Presbyterian Home in Mahtomedi. 

In December 2023 extended family and friends gathered to celebrate a much anticipated landmark - Marina’s 100th birthday. 

Following a short hospitalization later in December, Marina was transferred to hospice care at St. Therese Assisted Living at St Odilia in Shoreview where she remained through the end of life. 

Marina is survived by her children: Sandra, William, Robert(Robin), Jean (Jim) Echtenkamp, Lisa Orellana and Sue (Marc) Juzkow and by grandchildren Matt Slocum(Alin), Evan Slocum(Alexis), Whitney Hohman, Alec (Ashley) Slocum, Marissa (Derek) DuBois, Alyssa Unterreiner, Olivia Orellana(Johnny), Hayley Unterreiner, Renate Hohman(Jon), Alexia and Vanessa Orellana, Leo and Sorin Hohman and Myles and Brad Juzkow as well as great grandchildren, Kai and Rose Slocum, Karim, Mina and Sami Muniz and Sloan Slocum. Also surviving is her sister Magdalena Anderson and sisters-in-law Dorothy Gilkey, Joan Hohman and Arlene Welle as well as many nieces and nephews.

 She is preceded in death by her husband, Ron, parents Leo and Barbara Welle, in-laws, William and Frieda Hohman, and Allan Hohman, brothers, Sylvester(Marie), Ervin(Audrey), Dan, Roman and John Welle and sisters, Evelyn Welle, Leona Ahles(Dick) and Odelia Hoffman(Charlie). 

Marina’s life was characterized her extreme modesty, strong Catholic faith, and unwavering devotion to her family, especially her husband of 54 years. Marina was remarkably healthy throughout her life and seldom complained, but in recent years she lost her eyesight and mobility. Her expression, “It is what it is,” reflected her inner strength, gratitude for the life that she had and fearless anticipation of the eternal life that awaited her. Marina Hohman died peacefully knowing that she had lived a good, fulfilling life. She will be missed by all of us who knew and loved her.  

Family extend special thanks to the kind and caring staff of St. Therese and to the ministry volunteers and staff of St. Odilia and request that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to St Pius X Church or a local food shelf.