Karla Hinze

Karla Hinze, 60, of Watertown, passed away Thursday, February 27, 2025 at Sanford USD Medical in Sioux Falls, SD. 

Funeral services will be at 10:30 am Tuesday, March 4, 2025 at the Ortley Free Lutheran Church. Burial at Lakewood Cemetery near Waubay, SD. 

Visitation will be 5-7 pm Monday, March 3, 2025, with a scriptural prayer service at 6:30 at the funeral home. 

Karla Kay Hinze was born on March 16, 1964, to Eddie and Sandra (Willard) Hinze at Webster, South Dakota. She was baptized and confirmed at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Waubay. She attended Waubay school and graduated in 1982. She was crowned Snow Queen that year. She furthered her education at USD in Vermillion, South Dakota where she earned her business degree in 1987. Karla was blessed with her daughter Alyssa on August 20, 1991. In 1993, they moved to Minneapolis and in 1999 relocated to West Fargo, North Dakota. Karla worked for the City of Moorhead and at Noridian, adjudicating medical claims. In 2023, she moved to Watertown. 

While in West Fargo, she was an active member at St. Paul Free Lutheran Church and was a member of the Women’s Guild Group. She also was active on the New Life Center board in Fargo. She was a member of Toastmasters in Fargo and won awards for her public speaking. 

Karla was a caring and compassionate person, who was always willing to help. She was kind and thoughtful yet had a stubborn streak and could be argumentative when she needed to get her point across! She was intelligent, and a friend to all who had the privilege of knowing her.

Karla was an avid reader, a knower of things, and a collector of things! She loved taking pictures, scrap booking, music, and movies (her favorite being “It’s A Wonderful Life”). She was always on her “own schedule” and was known to “fiddle diddle”! She enjoyed thrifting, researching, visiting Fort Sisseton, and camping. She was very fond of Winnie the Pooh and Charlie Brown. She also cherished the holidays but above all else she loved spending time with her daughter and grandsons. 

Karla passed away Thursday, February 27, 2025, at Sioux Falls, South Dakota, at the age of 60 years, 11 months, and 11 days.

She will be forever loved and greatly missed by her mother Sandra Hinze, daughter Alyssa Hinze, grandsons Wesley and Blayze, brother Darrin (Jennifer) Hinze, Misti Hinze, nieces and nephews, Emily Lane, Zack Hinze, Carrie Hinze (Nick), Aaron Hinze, Riley Gilbertson, Cody Gilbertson, Lucas (Rachel) Mitzel, Jacob (Brandi) Mitzel, Ethan Hinze, Grant Hinze, Jessica Hinze, and Jeremiah Hinze, great nieces and nephews, Gabriella Lane, Miles Lane, Ariel Hinze, Milo Settje, Oliver Mitzel, Arrow Hinze, and Samuel Hinze. She is also survived by uncles Dave Willard and Larry Willard and many dear friends. She was preceded in death by her father Eddie, brother Miles, grandparents Shirley and Lawrence Willard, Harvard and Hazel Hinze, and aunts Judy Willard, Sylvia (Ed) Vargovich, and Avanelle Cotton, as well as great nephew Azariah Hinze.