DeAnna M. Hovda

A Funeral Service for DeAnna M. Hovda will be held on Monday, August 7, 2023 at 1:00PM at the First Baptist Church in Roseau, MN. Visitation will be held on Sunday, August 6, 2023 from 5-7PM at Helgeson Funeral Home in Roseau, MN with a prayer service at 7PM. Interment will take place at Hope Cemetery in Roseau, MN.

DeAnna Margaret Hovda passed away unexpectedly at her home on July 30th, 2023.  She was born along with her twin brother Dennis on May 22, 1952 to Paul and Margaret (Zahl) Sabourin in Fosston, MN.  She grew up in Roseau and graduated from Roseau High School in 1970.  She was the homecoming queen and a cheerleader.  She also participated in the GAA (Girls Athletic Association).  She went on to beautician school in Thief River Falls, MN, she did daycare for many years in Roseau, an ended her career working with her husband at American Family Insurance. 

DeAnna married Dave Hovda on May 27, 1972.  They were the first couple to ever get married at Messiah Lutheran Church in Roseau, MN.  Dave first met DeAnna at the local outdoor pool when they were kids.  He thought she would fancy him by dunking her repeatedly but she thought otherwise until they would dance years later at the auditorium in their junior and senior years of high school.  That’s where their beautiful life began together and they would later go on to raise 3 amazing kids, Tyler, Tanner and Kelly, along with 9 wonderful grandchildren, and they would become Grandma Nana’s greatest joys. 

DeAnna spent much of her time volunteering at the Roseau Baptist Church over the past years, decorating for numerous events.  Her creativity and love for God was shown through her work.  She often brought her grandchildren along while decorating at the church showing them that the gift of giving and not receiving is the greatest gift of all.  She was an amazing woman and filled so many lives with so much love, hope, faith and fun.  If you knew her you know how amazing she truly was. 

She was an amazing mother and grandmother, from singing at the end of our beds with a guitar, to doing kart wheels in the grass and healing our every wound.  She was at every sporting event, yelling, screaming and sometimes even crying.  She helped with all of our weddings, graduations, and anything else we or anyone needed.  She was the most helpful, caring person we ever met, and she would never ask for anything in return.

She was a woman of God.  She was always listening to sermons on her phone and singing hymns.  She loved her lake homes,  especially when we were all there.  She always made Swedish pancakes in the mornings in her bathrobe and loved when the grandbabies helped,  no matter how big of a mess it made.  She was the most patient woman.  She was always up for adventure whether it was walking in the pitch black looking for fireflies or jumping off “the rock” and water skiing.  She was the life of the party and loved to dance! She loved walking in the woods with the fall colors of the leaves.  We often would find leaves in between the pages of books in her home as she wanted to preserve and capture their beauty.  She also had a love of driftwood and would go on many adventures to find some new treasures.  She loved traveling and exploring and always had a project up her sleeve.  Her energy was endless!

When you think of wife, mom, grandma “Nana”, “Graham Cracker”, sister, daughter, and friend you can’t help but smile.  The smell of her sunflower perfume and long beautiful hair makes you feel at home.  She loved everyone.  She’s watching over all of us always and forever.  We can’t wait to give her the biggest hug one day in heaven. 

DeAnna is survived by her husband Dave, children Tyler (Christy) Hovda, Tanner (Trudy) Hovda, and  Kelly (Jake) Mertens, all of Roseau;  grandchildren Bodee, Kade, and Breck Hovda;  Jasmine, Paige, and Logan Hovda; and Memphis, Mack, and Boyer Mertens;  siblings Rick Sabourin,  Jeanne Bleau, and Dennis (Carolyn) Sabourin;  stepfather Howard Eklund (whom she loves dearly), and many nephews and nieces. 

DeAnna is proceeded in death by her father Paul Sabourin, mother Margaret Eklund, grandson Thore Mertens and  sister in law Lynn Sabourin.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of DeAnna M. Hovda, please visit our floral store.