| Lenat "Len" Hofmann, 70, Bismarck, died Feb. 15, 2005, at his home. Len
was a retired scientist from the Northern Great Plains Research laboratory
in Mandan, North Dakota. He was born May 25, 1934, in
Cedarburg, Wis., to Waldo and Lila (Burmeister) Hofmann.
Following high school graduation, Len served in the Marine Corps
from 1953 until his honorable discharge in 1956. Len
married Diane Baehler Dec. 26, 1959, in Seymour, Wis. He
attended Stout University, University of Wisconsin Stevens
Point, and graduated from the University of Wisconsin River
Falls in 1962 with a degree in agriculture. He worked for
the Corps of Engineers as a soil scientist for three years.
After receiving a NDEA
Fellowship, Len attended North Dakota State University and
received a Ph.D. in 1969. He was Assistant Professor of
Agronomy and Extension Forage Specialist at the University of
Maryland from 1969 to 1973. He went back to North Dakota
in 1973, to conduct research as a forage research specialist at
NGPRL in Mandan. His most notable research results
include: reclaimed strip-mined land had comparable grazing
productivity compared to the pastures before strip mining; the
amount of vegetative ground cover is more critical to protecting
reclaimed lands from erosion than any particular grass species
involved; and, measuring grazing consumption of particular grass
species by cattle is an important factor in managing grazing of
pastures composed of introduced grass species. He retired
from NGPRL in 1994.
Len was professionally
affiliated with the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science
Society of America, Society of Range Management, Council for
Agricultural Science and Technology, Soil Conservation Society
of America, Sigma Xi and American Forage and Grassland Council.
He was an active member
in the State and National Horseshoe Pitchers Association and
honored with induction into the Horseshoe Pitchers Hall of
Fame. Len won the State Men's Championship in 1996 along
with the Elders 2004 Championship. He enjoyed emceeing
banquets, piano tuning, singing and playing the ukulele, and
especially valued time spent with his grandchildren. He
was a handyman, the author of a list of 560 "Useless
Sayings," and wrote daily "Letters to my
Children" from 1994 to 2001.
Donations may be made
to Medcenter One Hospice, Medcenter One Dialysis, National
Horseshoe Pitcher's Foundation, or Good Shepherd Lutheran
Church.
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