James “Jim” Kenneth Hoeft, age 68, of Elgin, MN passed away Saturday, December 9th, 2023. Jim was born on February 26, 1955 in Rochester, MN to Kenneth and Lorraine (Groszbach) Hoeft. He graduated from John Marshall high school class of 1973 and attended Rochester Vocational School the following year. He was united in marriage to Connie Brinkman in 1978 and together they had one daughter, Beth. He was employed by the Mayo Clinic for 40 years as a machinist in the Department of Engineering and retired in 2014. He owned and operated 4x4 Unlimited in rural Elgin. He was a very active member of the Rochester Rough Riders since 1980, and was seen as a mentor to many through the years. He was a lifelong resident of Farmington Township, farming as a boy and later helping local farmers make repairs to parts and equipment.