Rev. Burton Hoag -- Rochester

Published March 13, 2018 at 4:00 PM

Rev. Burton L. Hoag, 86, of Rochester, died on Saturday, March 10, 2018, at his home.

Burton Lowell Hoag was born April 28, 1931, in Cresco, Iowa, to Cleve and Gladys (Bates) Hoag. He was raised on the homesteaded Hoag farm south of Harmony and graduated from Harmony High School in 1949. He received a bachelor of science degree from Iowa State College in 1953 and a Masters of Divinity from Perkins School of Theology/Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, in 1959. He served in the U.S. Army from 1953 to 1955. Burton was married on June 1, 1956, to Sonja L. Bates. The couple lived in Texas until Burton finished seminary and then returned to Minnesota.

As an ordained United Methodist pastor, Burton served Minnesota churches at Akeley/Hubbard; Fosston/Erskine/Pine Bend (Indian Mission); Akeley/Cass Lake/Guthrie; Park Rapids; Mabel/Newburg; Caledonia; Eyota; North Branch; and several interim appointments. Burton led several horse camps, bicycle camps and youth church wilderness camps. He felt privileged to work part-time for several Christian farmers, including his brother Wayne Hoag. In 1989, Burton and Sonja moved to their retirement hobby farm at Hamilton in rural Racine, where they resided until August 2015, then moving to Rochester.

Burton is survived by his wife, Sonja; four daughters, Lavonne (John) Zafft of Minot, N.D., Dianne (Al) Barker of Rochester, Sharon Hoag Jaslow of White Bear Lake, and Rhonda (Jeff) McCabe of Blooming Prairie; nine grandchildren, Destiny (Royce) Rock, Brittany Zafft, Ty (Phyllis) Barker, Nathan (Cori) Barker, Andrew "AJ" (Teresa) Barker, Danae (Corey) McClure, Leah Jaslow (Brady Combs), Brendan (Kayla) McCabe and Ryan McCabe (Shari Stahl); seven great-grandchildren, Maceo, May, Stella, Max, Jaden, Levi and Brecken; two sisters-in-law and their husbands, Susan and Vern Foss, Joyce and Ernie Lorette; nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; two infant sisters; a half-sister, Kathleen Peterson; brother, Wayne Hoag and his wife, Jeanine; and sister, Barbara Willford and her husband, Earl.

A celebration of Burton’s life will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, March 23, at Peace United Church of Christ, 1503 Second Ave. NE, Rochester, officiated by the Rev. Paul Bauch and the Rev. Alan Vrieze. A time of visitation for family and friends will be one hour prior to the service Friday at the church. Burial will take place at State Line Cemetery in rural Harmony at a later date.

If you choose to make a memorial donation, please consider: Feeding America; Peace United Church of Christ, Rochester; or United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR).

Arrangements are with Griffin-Gray Funeral Home in Stewartville. www.griffin-gray.com.