Samuel M. Hofer, age 82, of Sioux Falls and formerly of Elma, WA, died Wednesday, May 25, 2005 at Prince of Peace in the Oakwood Assisted Living Center at Sioux Falls. His funeral Mass will be at 11:00 AM Tuesday, May 31, at Holy Trinity Catholic Church with Father Joe Holzhauser officiating. Burial will be at St. Martin Cemetery. Friends may call Monday afternoon and evening at the Welter Funeral Home or prior to the Mass at the church Tuesday morning. There will be a Scripture Service at 8:00 PM Monday evening at the funeral home with the family present from 7:00 to 9:00 PM. Samuel M. Hofer was born on October 22, 1922, to Michael K. and Anna (Gross) Hofer at Freeman, SD, the ninth of twelve children. In February 1928, Sam moved with his family to a farm 4 miles north of Yale, SD, where he spent his youth. He attended and graduated from Yale High School and Notre Dame Junior College in Mitchell. He taught at the Tyrrell School north of Yale in 1942 and later worked in the west coast ship yards during World War II for three years. Sam taught at the Johnson School north of Yale from 1948 until 1950. On May 27, 1950, Sam married Yvonne Bonnie Rose Ford at Cavour, SD. In 1950, Sam went to work as a government inspector for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Corps of Army Engineers until he retired in 1980. They lived in many different places, including: Sioux Falls, Vermillion, Pierre, Philip, Huron, and Rapid City in South Dakota; Lancaster, Fresno and Riverside in California; Canyon Ferry, Montana; Lincoln, Nebraska; Central Point and The Dalles in Oregon; and in Bridgeport and Elma, Washington. They retired in Elma, WA, where they have lived since 1981. Sam moved to Sioux Falls in April 2004. He is survived by 4 sons, Michael Bernard (Aileen) Hofer of Las Vegas, NV, Robert James (Cindy) Hofer of Canby, OR, Steven Joseph (Annie) Hofer of Grants Pass, OR, and Marty Richard Hofer of Bellingham, WA; 3 daughters, Patricia Joan Christensen of Denver, CO, Nancy Lynn Engel of Sioux Falls, and Marsha Ann Hofer of Sioux City, IA; 21 grandchildren; 2 great grandchildren; 2 brothers, George M. (Margret) Hofer of Freeman, SD, and Melvin (Evangeline) Hofer of Riverdale, ND; 2 sisters, Mrs. Fred (Mary) Tschetter of W. Des Moines, IA, and Mrs. Clinton (Grace) Hornig of Yale, SD; 3 brothers-in-law, James (Darlene) Ford of Las Vegas, NV, Eugene (Myrna) Ford of Henderson, NV, and Dennis (Mary) Ford of Sioux Falls; 4 sisters-in-law, Mrs. Johnny (Patricia) Kleinsasser of Sioux Falls, Mrs. Raymond (Rita) Kolousek of Wessington Springs, Carol Ann Ford of Portland, OR, and Mrs. Earl (Darlene) Ford of Huron; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife, Yvonne Bonnie on July 15, 1997; his parents; a son-in-law, Wayne Christensen; 4 brothers, Edward, Walter, Jake, and Clarence Hofer; and three sisters, Evelyn Gross, Edna Davis, and Ruth Steffens.