Carol Skarsten, age 85, of Swift Falls MN, passed away on Sunday, October 25, 2026 at Cura of Willmar Rehab Center in Willmar, MN. A memorial service will be held at 11 AM on Monday, November 9th at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church in Swift Falls with visitation one hour prior to the service. Inurnment will be in spring 2027 in the Swift Falls Cemetery. Arrangements are with Hoplin-Hitchcock Funeral Home in Glenwood.

Carol Skarsten, daughter of Harry and Helen (Neeseman) Hoffman, was born at home on the family farm near Hancock, MN on May 22, 1941. Carol was the second oldest of the couple’s six children. She was a baptized and confirmed member of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Hancock. She graduated from Hancock High School in 1959.

On February 18, 1962, Carol was united in marriage to Sanford Skarsten at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Hancock. Following their wedding, the two made their home on Sanford’s family farm near Swift Falls, where they raised their two children, Sherri and Phillip.

Carol’s first job out of high school was as a bookkeeper for the Swift County Bank. Following her marriage to Sanford, she became a homemaker and mother until the children were raised, then she went to work for the Benson Housing and Redevelopment Authority where she worked for 14 years and the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture where she worked as a statistical enumerator for 22 years.

Carol was an active member of Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church in Swift Falls. She served as a council member, member of the WELCA ladies circle and on the alter guild. She was also a member of the Homemaker’s Club, a 4H Leader, a U.S. census taker, voting poll worker and Sanford’s scorekeeper for many Little League games.

Carol’s hobbies included vegetable gardening, flower gardening, cooking, traveling, fishing and keeping up with genealogy records.

Carol is survived by her children, Sherri (Terry) Detloff of Farwell and Phillip (Karen Geyer) Skarsten of Benson, along with her brothers, Luverne (Mary) Hoffman and Gerald (Char) Hoffman; a sister, Joyce (Rolf) Standfuss; and 15 nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Sanford Skarsten in 2023; her parents, Harry and Helen Hoffman; her brother, Wesley (Gayle) Hoffman; her sister, Harriet (Jerry) Amundson; and sister-in-law, Karen Hoffman.