Stanley Carl Hovendick

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Stanley Hovendick passed away on Thursday, September 4, 2025, surrounded by his family in Lander, Wyoming, at age 89. His beloved wife of 68 years, Lilly, had passed away 17 days prior.

Stanley Carl was born to William and Carla (Juul) Hovendick on July 13, 1936, and grew up on the Hovendick family farm west of Spiker, Nebraska.

Stanley attended Rosehill and Spiker schools, graduating from Blair High School in 1953. He was an outstanding baseball player, playing on the Reds and Legion teams until he was injured.

He moved to Montana with his best friend, Rich Anderson, to be a cowboy. They wintered cattle on the Big Meadow Ranch outside of Kalispell, Montana, where the temperature reached 60 below zero. This experience provided life-long stories of Montana boys vs. Nebraska boys fighting, freezing and killing a grizzly bear. The Nebraska boys got the girls, both leaving with Montana wives.

Stan married Lillian Arno on July 26, 1957 in Kalispell. Three children were born to this union: Steve, Mary and Lisa.

In 1960, Stan attended LeTourneau Technical Institute in Longview, Texas, learning plumbing and welding, and returned to Montana to work as a pipefitter/welder for Anaconda Aluminum.

In 1965, Stan and Lillian bought the historic Raver farm near Herman, Nebraska. He was the fourth-generation Hovendick to farm in Washington County. His great-grandparents had arrived after the Civil War; one fought for the North, one for the South, and the Hovendick/Rosenbaum children married each other.

Stan and Lil loved square dancing and playing cards. He played ball with the Country Gentlemen, an over-30s league. He will be remembered for his stories, humor and great sense of adventure.

In 1992 they bought a ranch near Lander, Wyoming, with son Steve and Brenda Hovendick and enjoyed their grandchildren, Emily, Bill, Sally and Molly for the next 33 years. Son Steve and grandkids Sally and Bill now manage this ranch.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Lilly, parents, and brother Donny.

He is survived by son Steve, (Brenda), grandchildren Emily, Molly, Billy (Sara), Sally (Clay) Espinosa and great-grandchildren Kasey and Clancy Espinosa, daughter Mary Helland (fiancé David), grandchildren Addy (Michael) Spence, great-granddaughter Charlotte, grandsons Simon, Franklin and Jack Helland, daughter Lisa Hovendick, grandsons Benjamin Stebelton, (Brandy) great-grandson Clyde and grandson Stewart Stebelton. Also surviving are brother David Hovendick (Carol) of Omaha, NE, and sister Donna Marvin (Don), of Omaha, brother-in-law Ed Hansen of Blair and two nephews, Todd Hansen of Blair and Trent Hansen of Windsor, CO.

Services were held on Wednesday, Sept. 10th, and a Celebration of Life for both Stan and Lil will be held in Lander, WY, next spring.

~~~from obituaries courtesy of the Nebraska Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Public Library, Blair, Nebraska~~~

FindaGrave # 286783779