Caroline F. Hoagland, age 72

St. Cloud, formerly of Cold Spring
July 16, 1949 – December 15, 2021

Caroline Hoagland left her earthly dwelling on Wednesday, December 15, 2021, following years of medical challenges.  She departed after being able to spend special time with each of her living siblings and daughters in her final days.

Caroline was born on July 16, 1949, in Richmond, MN to Gregor & Lorraine (Vornbrock) Thomes. She graduated from Eden Valley High School. On March 10, 1978, she married Ronald Hoagland and the two made their home in Cold Spring, MN for 40 years.  

Caroline (Carol) was known for her giving heart.  She took joy in finding Christmas gifts for everyone, including her mail carrier, garbage collector and newspaper deliverer.  Her Christmas cards arrived right after Thanksgiving, and she prided herself in making sure they would be one of the first people received.  

The way Caroline's giving heart shown most was through food. Her love for cooking and baking provided abundant blessings (and calories!) for her family & friends.  There was never a small meal when guests came and her version of light snacks when hosting friends looked like a buffet; the food was amazing!  Her years of cooking at restaurants certainly fine-tuned her gift.  Caroline's kuchen bread was a staple at Thomes family gatherings; she brought many loaves so everyone could fully enjoy.  

Caroline loved deeply and made friends wherever she went; from neighbors to card clubs, "the Turtles," Red Hat Society ladies, golf league buddies and church friends, she was blessed with many special friendships.

Caroline had a special heart for kids and individuals with special needs.  Her neighbor kids were subject to the same love (and supervision) as her own.  As new families moved into the neighborhood, she quickly became a neighbor-grandma and loved those kids with all her heart.  Caroline worked many years for ROCORI schools as a paraprofessional and had fierce passion for the kids she worked with.   She was also a dedicated volunteer with Special Olympics and in children's ministries at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Cold Spring.

Caroline's most proud accomplishments were as a wife, mother & grandma.  Hoagie was the love of her life, and they shared many special memories together. She loved her girls with all her heart. She taught them the value of family, modeled by her respect for her parents and mother-in-law and the dedication to purposeful gatherings with her siblings. Her grandkids lit up her world and she reveled in every moment spent with them.  They will always remember her funny facial expressions and her hard-core spirit when playing cards.  

Caroline lived for Christmas.  Her Christmas village was an epic sight.  Her love for singing was passed on as she led many Sunday School kids thru Christmas pageants, teaching them to use their voices in celebrating the birth of the Christ child.  It is with no irony that she passed away just in time to celebrate this Christmas by singing "carols" with the angels, in a way that will make every prior year pale in comparison.  What an amazing Christmas gift indeed.

She is survived by her daughters, Tanya (Lenny) Fraizer and Nicole Johnson; grandchildren, Ethan, Carly, Maya & Angela; siblings, MaryAnn (Donald) Dingmann, Diane (Merle) Eisert, Al (Judy) Thomes, Glen (Jan) Thomes, Marlyne (Lee) Molitor; sister-in-law, Lucy Thomes; brother-in-law, Eugene (Avis); dozens of nieces and nephews, including godson, Greg Thomes.

Caroline was preceded in death by her husband, Ronald Hoagland (2017); infant daughter, Rochelle Hoagland; parents, Gregor & Lorraine (Vornbrock) Thomes; brother, Dennis Thomes; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Clell & Hilda Hoagland; brother-in-law, Reinhard Hoagland; nephew & beloved godchild, Rick Dingmann; nephew, Gordon Hoagland; niece, Laurie Johnson, and great-nephew, Adam Sasse.

A funeral service will be held on Monday, December 20, 2021, at 1:00 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church in Sauk Rapids. A Visitation will be from 10:00 a.m.-12:45 p.m. the morning of at the church.

Arrangements are with Wenner Funeral Home, Cold Spring.