Peter John Hauff, age 76, of Luverne, passed away peacefully on Monday, Dec. 23, 2024, at Dow Rummel Village, Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
He was born Nov. 5, 1948, in Sidney, Montana, to Wilbert and Hazel (Pederson) Hauff. Peter was the oldest of three children. As a child, he lived in Velva and Williston, North Dakota, and in 1957 his family moved to Brookings, South Dakota, where he graduated from high school in 1967 and graduated from South Dakota State University in 1972.
After graduation from South Dakota State University, Peter served in the U.S. Army for two years. As a 1st Lieutenant, he was assigned to the Panama Canal Zone. Following his return home from Panama, Peter served as a Captain in the South Dakota Army National Guard from 1975 to 1981. During that time he also owned and operated PJ Hauff Printing in Brookings. After closing his printing business, he began working for Insurance Services Inc. where he performed fire and life safety inspections on businesses to determine their insurance rating. He continued in that industry until 1993 when he decided to change careers and continue his education at the Hennepin Technical College in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. There he studied computer programming. This new career path offered various opportunities in St. Paul, Aberdeen and Sioux Falls, where he retired from Midcontinent Communications in 2010.
In 1980 Peter married Laura L. McClure of Luverne. Sadly, Laura passed away in September 1996 from cancer.
During his retirement, Peter became an avid amateur photographer of nature, landscapes and museums. He created a website of his photos to share his passion with others, and he generously created prints and notecards for family and friends to enjoy his work. Many of his photos have been featured by the Sertoma Noon Club, the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), and the Active Generation Center of Sioux Falls.
Peter was active with the Masons, the Shriners, the American Legion, the Elks Club, and Kids Against Hunger.
Peter is survived by his sister, Barbara Koenders, Brookings, South Dakota; a brother, Tom (Lorie) Hauff, Wilmington, Delaware; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Wilbert and Hazel Hauff; and his wife, Laura Hauff.
A time of fellowship will be from 1-2 p.m. Friday, Jan. 3, at the Dingmann Funeral Home in Luverne. Memorial service will be 2 p.m. Friday at the Dingmann Funeral Home in Luverne, officiated by Pastor Katherine Olson. Burial with full military honors provided by the Luverne American Legion & VFW will be at the Maplewood Cemetery in Luverne.
