Carl Soren Hoveland

Carl Soren Hoveland died in Athens on July 4, 2021.  He was born October 25, 1927 on a dairy farm near Sand Creek in northwestern Wisconsin, an area settled by Norwegian Lutheran immigrants.  All four grandparents came from southern Norway as children.  Carl grew up with Norwegian as his first language.  In winter he skied two miles to a one-room country school.  Family frugality and hard work on the dairy farm taught him valuable lessons as they survived the Great Depression.  After high school, he entered the University of Wisconsin, working three jobs to support himself.  He served 20 months in the Marine Corps (Aviation) and obtained the GI Bill to complete his BS and MS degrees in soils.  After marrying Dorothy Anderson, a registered nurse, they moved to southwest Texas near Crystal City in 1952, where he worked three years at a Texas A&M University agricultural research station.  Returning to school, he obtained a PhD in agronomy-ecology and animal nutrition at the University of Florida in 1959.  After spending 22 productive years in research and teaching at Auburn University, he was invited to join the Agronomy faculty at the University of Georgia, serving 26 years and becoming Terrel Distinguished Professor, and retiring in 2006.

During his productive research-teaching career he received many awards, among them were Fellows of the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society, American Society for the Advancement of Science, and the Silver Medallion Award of the American Forage and Grassland Council.  His exciting career included a great deal of international travel for consulting, lectures, and teaching in many countries around the world in both hemispheres.  One of his proudest achievements was co-authoring with Don Ball and Garry Lacefield a popular color illustrated book, ‘Southern Forages’, for livestock producers, now in its fifth edition (2015).  The book has been translated into Spanish and Chinese and is used as a textbook at 60 universities and colleges.

He was an active member of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Auburn, AL and at Emanuel and St. Gregory Episcopal Churches in Athens.  During retirement he wrote and published his childhood memoirs ‘Sand Creek – A Childhood Legacy,’ and also prepared for family and friends a photo book on world travels, and books of tribute to his wives, Dorothy and Patricia. Even though he had no musical talent, he loved classical music and enjoyed concerts by the University of Georgia music school.  It gave him great pleasure to provide graduate fellowships for opera and choral music students.

Carl is survived by three children: Karlyne (Bob), Karl (Lola), and Kevin (Barbara).  He is also survived by his sister Hannah Marie (Gaylon).  He was pre-deceased by his beloved wives Dorothy (1979) and Patricia (2012).

A memorial service will be scheduled at a later date.

Lord and Stephens Funeral Home, EAST, Athens, GA, is in charge of arrangements. www.lordandstephens.com