MICHAEL HOGLUND

MICHAEL HOGLUND Michael Hugh Hoglund, 59, of Cooperstown, ND, died Sunday, September 22, 2013, on the family farm. Mike was born November 15, 1953, in Moorhead, MN, to Hugh “Pat” and Loretta Hoglund. His family lived in Harwood, ND until he was 8, when he and his family moved and settled in Cooperstown, ND. Growing up, Mike’s trusting nature would find him in some of the most unsettling situations. It was because of this trusting nature that Mike would “shoot first, and ask questions second.” Thankfully, this trust only went so far. When Mike was assisting in breaking horses, for reasons only Mike knew, he seemed to know the exact time to get off the horse, in order to maximize training for the horse all the while minimizing bodily injury to himself. Since childhood, Mike had an unfaltering attention to detail. Whether it was repairing the John Deere tractor with his brother or performing complex welding, Mike’s attention to these details was bare none. Instead of the carpentry work, Mike’s real passion was in the finishing and re-finishing of the piece. In addition to this, Mike’s strength and determination gained him the elementary record for chin-ups in Cooperstown, only to be beaten twenty years later by his son. His determination shined through and overcame his inert cautious native when helping his friends and family. Mike would go the extra mile to ensure the highest peaks of the house had a coat of paint, while the other painters gladly stepped aside for such a job. Mike earned his Associates Degree from NDSU Bottineau Branch and Institute of Forestry in Wildlife Management. His knowledge of the outdoors was only surpassed by his passion. Anytime Mike was outdoors, he was able to name, usually by the scientific name, almost any type of tree, plant or other vegetation. It was this love that earned Mike numerous recognitions from various conservation organizations. Mike started his working career as a security guard with Boeing at the missile sites near Cooperstown. From there, his passion for the farm found him back on the family farm, farming and ranching with his father. Mike then continued his employment with Melroe, until his retirement from the company. Retirement was too soon for Mike, as he found himself still working full-time back on the family farm and working seasonally for both Sheyenne Tooling and Central Plains. Mike became a father to three children - Christine, Patrick, and Julie. Mike taught numerous life lessons to his children. Whether it was showing his oldest daughter that hard work can also be enjoyed when the family was herding cattle from one pasture to another, or explaining to his son that attention to detail was important while searching for arrowheads, or demonstrating to his youngest daughter that pain is in the eye (or thumb nail in some cases) of the beholder, Mike was able to provide his children with lessons that stuck with them their lifetimes through. These lessons, however, would be put aside in the rain, when the family would find themselves packing up the family car and heading for Medora to wait out the rain. Mike was also an amazing grandfather to eight beautiful grandchildren. When any of his grandchildren came to visit, his eyes would light up and the love from his heart radiated. Mike enjoyed giving the grandsons rides in the Bobcat and bottle-feeding a calf for his granddaughters. Mike rolled on the carpet with the grandkids as toddlers and passed along his passion for wildlife in his older grandkids. From the grandchildren’s standpoint, there is no question that Mike was the “World’s Greatest Grandpa.” Throughout his life, Mike was an avid hunter. Not only did he have one of the quickest trigger pulls around, his accuracy was also near perfect. Mike was an expert with the muzzleloader and rifle, and his ability with a bow was certainly nothing to blink an eye at. Those who hunted with Mike would barely spot the animal by the time Mike already had it in his sights. While being an expert hunter, Mike also had a natural instinct for other animals, which was evident by his abilities as a rancher. Yet another passion that Mike held dear to his heart was his cattle. When a calf needed to be pulled at 2:00 in the morning, Mike was there. When a newborn calf needed to be bottle-fed throughout the day, Mike was there too. Mike always knew which cows had an attitude and which cows to stay away from, but he would always let it know that he was in charge. In his life, Mike was a lot of things – son, brother, dad, teacher, grandpa, conservationist, rancher/farmer, hard worker, hunter, and friend. Unfortunately, Mike left this world too early to add “log cabin builder” to this list, which would have realized one of Mike’s dreams of having his cabin in the woods. He was stubborn to a fault, but he would go the extra mile (and hundreds of miles, when required) to help someone out, without batting an eye. Mike also had an amazing ability to put a smile on anyone’s face. If he wasn’t cracking a joke, he was telling a story that had you rolling in laughter with tears in your eyes by the end. While Mike’s stories and lessons will live on in our hearts and minds, he will be forever missed by those who were lucky enough to know him. Mike’s survivors include his mother, Loretta (Morris) Hoglund of Cooperstown, ND, children Christine (Greg) Moe of Peoria, AZ, Patrick (Rebecca) Hoglund of Douglas, ND, and Julie (Mark) Gavin of Destin, FL, siblings Debbie (Kim) Kolgraf of Bismarck, ND, Daniel (Lisa) Hoglund of Cave Creek, AZ, and Becky (Dean) Wilkins of Scottsdale, AZ, grandchildren Jacob and Conner Moe, Anna Lise Hoglund, Eliana, Eli, Evangeline and Exzander Gavin. Preceding him in death were his father Hugh “Pat” Hoglund and grandson Keenan Hoglund. Funeral services will be held 10:30 am, Friday, September 27, 2013 in the Trinity Lutheran Church, Cooperstown, ND. Visitation will be held 5:00 till 7:00 pm Thursday, September 26, 2013 in the Quam-Plaisted-Cushman Funeral Home and one hour before services in the Church. A Prayer Service will be held at 7:00 pm in the Funeral Home. Interment will be in the Ringsaker Cemetery, rural Cooperstown, ND.