Date of death: 3/5/2008
Saint Meinrad Class: O 1942
Father Robert J. Hoevel, 92, died at Saint Anne Home, Fort Wayne. Born in Fort Wayne, he graduated from St. Andrew School, Fort Wayne; St. Joseph College, Rensselaer; Pontifical College (North American), Rome, Italy; and Saint Meinrad Seminary, St. Meinrad, IN. He was ordained to the Priesthood on May 30, 1942 at Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception Church by Bishop John F. Noll. He was appointed Assistant at St. Mary Church, Decatur on June 26, 1942, Assistant Chancellor with residence at Chancery on July 9, 1946, appointed to take care of St. Francis Xavier Church, Pierceton on Nov. 16, 1946, Assistant, St. Bernard Church, Wabash and continuing to take care of St. Francis Xavier Church on July 7, 1949, Resident Pastor of St. Francis Xavier Church, Pierceton on Jan. 1, 1950, Founding Pastor at St. Henry Parish, Fort Wayne on June 26, 1956, Pro-Synodal Judge on Jan. 1, 1960, Administrator of St. Joseph Church, Garrett, with ordinary jurisdiction on July 1, 1968, Pastor of St. Joseph Church, Garrett on May 1, 1969, Pastor of St. Patrick’s Parish, Arcola on July 1, 1975, Pastor of St. Joseph’s Mishawaka on July 5, 1977, Pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish, Kendallville on July 7, 1980, Retired (residence St. Bavo, Mishawaka) on July 9, 1984, moved to the Cathedral in 1988, appointed to Chaplain at Saint Anne Home in June of 1991, and appointed a five year term on the Clergy Retirement Committee on Jan. 1, 1998. Survivors include sister, Helen Berghoff of Fort Wayne; brother, Benjamin (Doni) Hoevel of South Bend; nieces and nephews, James (Susan) Berghoff of Warren, Patricia (Neil) Hayes of Fort Wayne, Donna (Ken) Ballinger of Bluffton, Dr. Robert (Laura) Berghoff of Warren, Mary (Ken) Bundza, John (Martha) Berghoff, and Gregory Berghoff, all of Fort Wayne, Elizabeth (Dan) Gordon of Bluffton, Ann (Dave) Skirvin and Claire Hoevel, both of Indianapolis, Kim (Gary) Lee of Kalamazoo, Mich., Amy Hoevel of Hamilton, Ohio, Joyce Winters of Tennessee Colony, Texas, and Susan (Alan) Diefenbach of Huntertown; and 42 great-nieces and nephews. Memorials to Benoit Academy Tuition Assistance Fund or Masses.Information obtained from the Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette online, www.journalgazette.net, on 3/7/08.