Louie D’Hooge, 87, died Monday, August 6, 2007, at his residence in Havre of natural causes.
His prayer vigil service will be 7 p.m. Friday at the St. Jude Catholic Church with his funeral Mass Saturday 11 a. m. at the St. Jude Catholic Church with Father Robert D. Grosch officiating. A fellowship luncheon will follow at the Knights of Columbus Hall immediately after the service. A private family interment will be held with full military honors at the Highland Cemetery. Louie was born March 25, 1920, in Melsele Waas (East Fladers) Belgium to Edward and Marie (Heirbaut) D’Hooge. Louie came to America with his parents from Belgium in 1920 through Ellis Island. He was eleven weeks old when he traveled to America with his family. They settled in Chicago, Illinois where he attended a Catholic Grade School. His family moved out west to homestead in the Harlem area in 1932. He worked on the family homestead for a few years and met his future wife Virginia Oberg in Zurich, Montana. Louie enlisted in the United States Navy in 1941 and served for six years during World War II and was honorably discharged in 1947. He married Virginia Oberg while home on leave from the Navy in Dec. 29, 1945 in Chicago, Illinois. The couple lived in Seattle, Washington and Tennessee. They moved to Havre in September of 1947 where Louie began working for Bear Paw Motors, then he went to work for Northern Tire Company as the Wheel Alignment Technician for thirty five years. He then went to work for Tilleman Motors for twenty years until he retired in 2003. Louie enjoyed playing cards, camping at Goebel’s cabin in the Bear Paw Mountains, fishing and watching baseball games. He was a member of the Knight of Columbus and enjoyed cooking at the Knight of Columbus breakfasts. He was also a member of the Eagles and the V.F.W. where he loved to dance. He was preceded in death by his parents, five brothers, Albert, George, Henry, Paul and Emiel D’Hooge; six sisters, Augusta Jensen, Irma Tilleman, Martha Felton, Magdalena Everaert, Josephine Schwenke and Jean Bruns. Louie is survived by his wife, Virginia D’Hooge of Havre; daughters, Sandra (Larry) Curtiss of Havre, Patricia (A.K.) Meras of Port Orchard, Wash., Jane (Scott) Linville of Dublin, Ohio.; son, Robert D’Hooge of Billings; sister, Dorothy Whaley of Dillon; eight grandchildren, Gretchen Onstad of Seattle, Wash., Michael (Anne) Curtiss of Portland, Ore., David (Maria) Curtiss of Portland, Ore., Jesse Onstad of Miles City; Lukia Meras of Missoula, Sjanetee D’Hooge of Great Falls, Christopher and Ryan Linville of Dublin; and one great-granddaughter, Morgan Amede Curtiss of Portland. Memorial contributions in Louie’s honor may be made to Bear Paw Hospice C/O NMH P. O. Box 1231 Havre, Montana 59501 to Hi-Line Slettten Cancer Center C/O NNHCF P.O. Box 1231 Havre, Montana 59501 or to the American Legion North Star Baseball. Services and arrangements have been entrusted to Holland & Bonine Funeral Home.
