Mark E. Erdmann

Mark Edward Erdmann, 72, passed away peacefully Friday, December 16, 2022, after a long battle with esophageal cancer.  Mark was born in Springfield, IL, on February 19, 1950 to Victor and Mary (Enlow) Erdmann.  At the age of 5, his family moved to Minneapolis, MN, where he grew up, graduating from DeLaSalle High School.  He loved all sports, whether watching or playing, especially tennis, baseball, basketball, football, and table tennis.  You could also find him jamming out to his favorite Classic Rock songs, meaning, he would be playing his air guitar and drums or singing along occasionally too! 

Drafted in 1970 during the Vietnam war, Mark was stationed at Fort Carson training, and working as an Operations and Intel Assistant. While in Colorado, he also learned to downhill ski! 

He returned home to Minneapolis and he was employed at Gagers (a hobby and model railroad store chain.) He was sent to Fargo, ND, to open and manage a new store in West Acres and it was there he met his wife, Stacia Johnson, of Downer, MN.  They were married in 1978 establishing residence in St. Louis Park, MN. In 1984, after managing multiple locations for Craft Village (bought out Gagers), Stacia encouraged him to use his knowledge and experience with his own store. They moved to Moorhead where he opened the Hobby Hut at the Moorhead Center Mall, later moving to EasTen Mall and most recently, 45^th Street Marketplace in Fargo, ND. A labor of love, the large train layout in the front window was a popular attraction for kids and adults alike. Whether you were a customer or an employee, Mark treated everyone with respect and kindness.

When not at his store, he enjoyed spending time with his children and grandchildren, building a train layout and setting up a dollhouse at home. He also coached and watched the kids play baseball, tennis and basketball. Many summers were spent on weekend road trips with our pop-up camper, meeting friends and exploring new places, including Camp Wilderness. Trips with immediate and extended family were taken to Cabo San Lucas, Lake Erie (Ohio), Lake Tahoe, Medora, Disneyland, Florida and Tucson. These gave him many special memories, as long trips were challenging for a small business owner. The memories of the time when the raccoons ate our baked apples in the middle of the night, our family taking up an entire restaurant, attempting to sail, and forgetting a suitcase at the airport! The past 4 years he enjoyed time at Tamarac Lake, watching the grandkids play in the yard and swim in the lake. Grandpa was known for setting up clue-based scavenger hunts, there they would find special sugar filled treats at the end!

Mark is preceded in death by his parents, Victor and Mary Erdmann; in-laws, John O. and Amy Jean Johnson; brother-in-law Roger Johnson; and great nephew, Jace Johnson. 

He is survived by his wife of 44 years, Stacia; children, Kristin, Erik (Sarah Mogen), and Jarrod (Rochelle) Erdmann; grandchildren, Alexandra “Lexi” Keller, Isaac, Owen, Elijah and Andrew Erdmann; siblings, Dan (Sheree) Erdmann of Maple Lake, MN, Connie (Tim) White, Tuscon, AZ, and Donna (David) Martens, Lakeville, MN; In-laws, Sandy (Terry) Ysteness , Al (Laura) Johnson all of Downer, Pam Johnson of Breckenridge, MN, and Pat (Mark) Cox of Barnesville, MN; along with  many cousins, nieces and nephews. 

We would like to thank the physicians, nurses, caregivers and volunteers (especially Steve) at the Roger Maris Cancer Center and Hospice Red River Valley for their support, care and compassion.

Visitation for Mark will be Wednesday, December 21, 2022, in St. Joseph Catholic Church in Moorhead from 5:00pm – 7:00pm with a prayer service at 6:30pm.  Mass of Christian Burial will be held Thursday, December 22, 2022, at 11:00am in St. Joseph Catholic Church with luncheon to follow.

Memorial contributions are encouraged to Salgi Esophageal Cancer Research Foundation, Hospice of the Red River Valley, or St. Joseph’s Parish.