1. 90th Birthday
1940-1949
• 1 942 Reunion
• Fam ily Portrait
• Move to Wyom ing
• Raising Horses

2. 90th Birthday 1 940-1 949 World Events
President: Franklin D Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman
Vice President: John N Garner
Population: 132,122,446 (1940)
Postage Stamp: $.03
Unemployment: 14.6% (1940), 1.9% (1945)
Average US Annual Salary: $1,299; Teachers $1,441
•First regular television station in New York with 10,000 viewers (1940)
•First Bugs Bunny cartoon (1940)
•Japan bombs Pearl Harbor US into World War II (1941)
•First HMO Kaiser Foundation Health Plan started in Oakland California (1942)
•Radar comes into operational use (1942)
•Withholding tax on wages introduced (1942)
•The Pentagon is completed and becomes the larest office building in the world (1942)
•GI Bill of Rights passed, providing benefits for armed-service veterans (1944)
•First automatic, general purpose digital computer constructed at Harvard University (1944)
•DNA is isolated (1944)
•Hitler commits suicide and Germany surrenders, May 8 is declared V-E day (1945)
•US drops atomic bomb Aug 6 and 8, Japan surrenders, September 2 V-J day (1945)
•FDR dies and Harry S. Truman becomes president (1945)
•Oral penicillin developed by Raymond Libby (1946)
•Folic acid discovered by American Cyanamid (1946)
•Benjamin Spock’s childcare classic published (1946)
•US Army makes first radar contact with the moon 1946)
•Dead Sea Scrolls discovered at Qumran (1947)
•Jackie Robinson joins the Brooklyn Dodgers (1947)
•Micro oven is invented by Percy Spencer (1947)
•Chuck Yeager breaks the sound barrier (1947)
•Polaroid Land Camera invented (1948)
•Cable television started (1949)
•45 RPM records are sold in US (1949)
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3. 90th Birthday 1 940-1 949 Hoff Reunion 1942
The descendants of Nils Hoff held a
reunion in 1942. This was the last time
they were all together at the same
time.
Don Aupperle (husband of
Helen Hoff- daughter of
Rasmus) Felix & Alvin (of
Peter), Phil & Leonard (of
Rasmus), Rudolph (of Peter),
Mark (of Rasmus), Aurther
Brashear (married Jenny
Hoff’s younger sister. Jenny
was married to Rasmus)
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4. 90th Birthday 1 940-1 949 Hoff Reunion 1942
The reunion included all the Hoff Men
and their wifes.
Alvin (of Peter), Mark, Phil &
Rueben (of Rasmus), Rudolph
(of Peter)
Hansine (married to Nils),
Bessie (married to Felix), Ruth
(Hoff) Rogers (married to Earl
Rogers) Anna (wife of Peter)
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5. 90th Birthday 1 940-1 949 Hoff Family
Reunions Abound
Alvin, Anna, Gladys, Ruth, Felix
A Peter Hoff descendants reunion at a later date.
Gladys (Hoff) Alloway, Rudolf, Anna, Felix, Ruth (Hoff) Rogers,
Alvin
Anna had all five of her children home at the same time.
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6. 90th Birthday 1 940-1 949 Bought Ranch 1943
Bessie’s father had passed away so in 1943
Felix bought the Wyoming ranch on Paint Creek
from Grandma Bosley. It was located about 25
miles west of Powell and 25 miles north of Cody
and included a 4 room house with an attic, a
bunk house, and an out house; no electricity.
Preparing to plant a wind break above the
house. A the wind surely could blow! The
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The first few years Felix raised sheep and buildings are gone but the wind break is still
horses and later cattle and horses along growing.
with the alfalfa, tim othy and brom e grass.
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7. 90th Birthday 1 940-1 949 A Typical Week
While Felix ran the ranch, Bessie ran her
own beauty salon in Powell. She’d drive the
25 miles on dirt roads, rain or shine, every
weekend to bring out groceries and see her
family.
A typical scene; Bessie
working in her shop.
Phyllis started first grade at the Paint
Creek school at age five. There were only
five students and she was the only girl.
The school was ½ mile from the ranch
house. The last month of school Bessie
took her to town to be with her. But
Phyllis spent every summer at the ranch.
This was her first day of school.
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8. 90th Birthday 1 940-1 949 Family
Bessie stayed with the Sundquists before she
was married. Mildred was Bessies mother’s
youngest sister.
Back row: Felix, Bessie, Aunt Mildred,
Unknown, Uncle Ernest Sundquist
Front row: Phyllis, “Bunky” Sundquist
Bessie, Phyllis and Felix Hoff (about 1 942)
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9. 90th Birthday 1 940-1 949 Bought Ranch 1943
Felix was now able to pursue a life long dream;
raise horses. Growing up they had work horses
and no time for colts. The saddle horse that was
given to when he was a kid, Silver, was killed by
a train. The ranch was a dream come true.
Weekend visitors watching the action in
the corral.
Every Saturday
all of the horses
were rounded up
for the weekend
visitors to enjoy.
A one tim e they
t
had forty horses.
Got one and four to go.
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10. 90th Birthday 1 940-1 949 Brand and Saddle
The Ranch had 2300 acres, a few acres were
irrigated but it was mostly dry land pasture.
With the Ranch came the ‘Heart
Hanging Y” brand..
After buying the Ranch Felix had a saddle
made to fit him. The saddle is still in the
family.
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11. 90th Birthday 1 940-1 949 Horse and Riders
The ranch was always a popular place for
friends and relatives to visit. Felix took the
visitors on rides, some long, some short.
Felix on the left and a
relative from Iowa on
the right.
Felix is taking the ladies
on a day trip 7 miles up
Bald Ridge; Ruth (his
sister on Phyllis’ horse
Pet), Bessie (on Tulip),
and Gladys (his sister).
His saddle is on Rocket
with a rifle in the
scabbard under his right
leg.
Felix wearing his
10 gallon hat.
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12. 90th Birthday 1 940 -1 949 Horse
Horses and colts in abundance.
Bally was a work horse that cam e with the
ranch. He turned out to be a great saddle
bronc and was entered in the Cody Rodeo
often. Later Gene A utrey’s rodeo bought
him . Out of the shute he was as gentle as a
kitten.
Suzy and her first colt Trixy
The m are with the colt is Tulip. Felix bought her
and a blue roan m are he nam ed Rocket from a
herd of wild horses run in by an airplane over by
Meeteetse. Tulip was a strawberry roan and one
of Felix’s favorites. Orchid on the right, one of
Tulips colts.
This is “Itto Pete” Felix’s prize bull. He was so
sm all when purchased at the sale ring in Billings,
that Phyllis held him on her lap going hom e.
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