Larry Hoogestraat, 77 of Chancellor, passed away on August 29, 2025 at Ava's House in Sioux Falls. Funeral Service will be at 10:30 AM Friday, September 5, 2025 at the Chancellor Reformed Church, Chancellor. Visitation will be from 5:00-7:00 PM Thursday, September 4, 2025 at the church. Arrangements provided by Hofmeister-Jones Funeral Home.
Larry Allen Hoogestraat passed away surrounded by loved ones at Ava’s House after a long battle with Parkinson’s. He was born August 24, 1948, at McKennan hospital in Sioux Falls, SD. He was the only son of Andrew and Alice Hoogestraat.
Larry grew up on a family farm south of Chancellor, SD. He attended school there graduating from chancellor high school in 1966. He then attended Southern State College in Springfield,SD majoring in mechanics. From then Larry worked as a truck mechanic at various business in Sioux Falls including John Deere, International Harvester, Kenworth and American Freight. He repaired cars in his home garage and even did some farming on the family land.
Larry’s first memories of his youth consisted of an outdoor bathroom, no running water, and baths in an old, galvanized steel tub. One fond memory is helping his parents plant the grove of trees to the west of the farm buildings the year he was in second grade; mostly because he got to skip school.
In high school Larry drove a 1951 Ford black sedan. His best friend was Joe Sigl. One night Joe introduced Larry to his new girlfriend, Diann. Things were never quite the same after that. Larry would say Diann was the most alive person he had ever met. Their first date was decorating the Christmas tree at church for RCYF. He took her home afterwards and they shook hands and said good night. After Larry met his future in-laws, he would comment that Diann’s dad Darrell had a language of his own. It was a cross between English and Danish and most of the time Larry had no clue what Darrell was saying. Larry described Diann’s mom, Mavis as the “glue that kept the family together”, but Mavis was very suspicious of Larry at first. He remembered Mavis turning the yard light on and off when it was time for Larry to leave.
In high school Larry enjoyed spring state tournaments and talked about a trip to a new place called McDonalds where a hamburger cost 19 cents. He always said back then “if you had one dollar in your possession you were living high”.
In 1967 before Easter sunrise service, Larry asked Diann to marry him; they were married the following year on June 20th, 1968. They started their married life in an apartment in Sioux Falls, and two and a half months later they bought a house in Chancellor, SD for $1585. Their current home was purchased in 1982 from Virgil Klock. Larry and Diann moved the house onto 3 acres bought from his father, Andrew. With a lot of work, this house became a home. Their home was within two minutes of Larry’s parents’ house and everyday around 3 pm Alice served tea with cookies. It was called “tea time” but the cookies were never served until Larry arrived.
For the next 57 years, Larry and Diann loved and laughed, put family first, and built a life focused on 4 beautiful children, 7 foster children, and loved and cherished 15 grandkids.
After Diann and family, Larry would say his third greatest love was hunting and he passed this onto all his children and foster kids. At the age of 10 Larry started Curt out hunting and Larry would say he “has never been sorry he did”. When Curt turned 12 Larry bought Curt his first rifle and they have hunted together ever since. When Kris turned 12, Larry debated about which way to go on the hunting issue, but she took to hunting almost as enthusiastically as Curt, and so it has been with all the girls. His favorite hunting vehicle was the International Scout, and he repaired and fixed multiple over the years. Larry hunted most of the years of his life and only recently stopped in 2022.
There has always been a great deal of debate between the kids as to who was the best shot. One year Kris and Kim were shooting at 2 antelope that were so far away you could hardly see them. They took turns spotting and 46 shells later both antelope were down. Larry and Curt hunted bear in Canada, and he hunted Elk with Kris in the black hills. Kari (nicknamed by Larry “spud”) and her dad loved the “30 point buck song” and listening to Williams and Ree on the yearly hunting trips. He would say the memories made on those hunting trips with his kids were the best he had; but loved any chance to hunt with friends, family and foster children.
Some of his other favorite activities with his kids was “hooding” in the winter. This was created by Larry and consisted of chaining an old car hood to the back of the scout and pulling it in a field through the snow. He would talk of a time when at the age of 3 Kim wanted to go along, so he put her in between Curt and Kris and off they went. Eventually all three kids flew off the hood into the snow and no one could find Kim. Larry heard a noise and dug her out of a huge pile of snow, and she was laughing.
Larry was a longtime member of the Chancellor Reformed Church where he taught Sunday school, was a youth leader, sang in the choir, and served as a deacon and elder. He enjoyed traveling and went on trips to Texas, Colorado, the Black Hills, Montana, Idaho and even did 3 cruises with Diann to Alaska. Through the years Larry and Diann enjoyed card and Halloween parties with friends and family, helping other farmers in the area, and any activity with his grandkids.
The grandkids talk about fishing trips and rides with grandpa on the 4-wheeler and motorcycle. They recount sledding every Christmas, shooting practice in the back yard, wrestling on the floor, and whisker rubs with bear hugs.
One piece of advice passed onto Larry by his father Andrew was “never underestimate the brevity of life”. Larry said at the time he didn’t understand that quote but as you get older this reality becomes clear.
Larry is survived by his wife, Diann Hoogestraat; children Curtis (Angie) Hoogestraat, Kristine (Nate) Brady, Kimberly Schmalzriedt, Kari Saban and Jessica Leveille and Holly Machmiller: Grandchildren Joseph Hoogestraat, Shelby Brady, Bodhi Brady, Hope Brady, Damon Schmalzriedt, Adrian Schmalzriedt, Doreen Flannery, Katelyn Flannery, Ashlee Hoogestraat, Skyler Heckenlaible, Brooklynn Leveille, Korbyn Leveille, Holland Leveille, Styles Leveille, Deckard Leveille and Lillian Koerber; and one sister Maryan (Jack) Batho, Jr.
Larry is preceded in death by his parents, Andrew and Alice Hoogestraat and his parents-in-law Darrell and Mavis Christensen.
Chancellor Reformed Church
Chancellor Reformed Church
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