Karsten Hovland, a beloved husband, son, brother, uncle, and friend, passed away unexpectedly at the age of 43. He will be remembered for his kind heart, strong work ethic, and the joy he brought to those around him.
A Memorial Service will be held at Croxford Funeral Home on April 18th at 10 am. A reception will follow at the Ulm Firehouse.
Karsten met his wife, Echo (Eschenbacher) Hovland, in Ulm, Montana, in 2012. They married in 2015, and together, they built a small cattle operation, in which they shared their mutual love for raising cattle.
He took great pride in his work on the family farm and had a natural talent for operating and repairing equipment. Karsten earned a degree in Diesel Mechanics from MSU Northern and put those skills to use throughout his life. For Karsten, if it had a steering wheel or lever, he could drive it. Whether driving a semi, running a combine, welding, or tackling mechanical challenges, he could fix almost anything and was always willing to lend a hand. He especially enjoyed working on farm machinery. Karsten could make machinery work just right and spent much of his time improving equipment, such as working with the company, Triangle Ag, to customize a sprayer that he took great pride in.
Over the years, Karsten worked in a variety of roles that reflected his love of agriculture and machinery, from trucking and custom haying to mechanical work and helping others in the field. No matter the job, he built lasting friendships and was known for his reliability, skill, and willingness to help anyone in need.
Karsten also served his community as Chief of the Ulm Volunteer Fire Department, a role he held since 2012 after joining as a teenager. Karsten’s devotion to helping his friends and neighbors carried over into his role as Chief of the Ulm Volunteer Fire Department. He took this role very seriously, and he faithfully served the community as Chief until his passing.
He is survived by his wife, Echo Hovland; his parents, Sigurd and Stacey Hovland; his sister, Katie Roberts (Chris); his niece, Alexandra Roberts; his aunt, Elena Hovland; his uncle, Bart Stevenson (Debbie); his cousin, Rolly Stevenson (Nikki), along with many extended family members, friends, and neighbors. He will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him.
Family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to local volunteer fire departments.
To share condolences, click here to visit the Croxford Funeral Home website.
