Gloria Hochstein grew up on the family farm in Southwest Minnesota, which she now manages with her eldest brother. She grew up driving tractors, hunting pheasants, walking bean fields, detasseling corn, picking rocks, tossing hay bales, tending the garden, and caring for the chickens, ducks, pigs, and cattle. Gloria attended a two-room country school until fourth grade when she was sent to the consolidated school in the “big” town of Fulda, Minnesota. She credits her early education in a small country school with giving her an advantage over other students her age. And she credits growing up and working on the farm with developing in her a strong and independent work ethic, and with teaching her to respect and protect the land and the environment.

After a BA from Augustana University (English, French, and Spanish) and a MA from the University of Arizona (Tucson) in English Literature and Higher Education Teaching, she moved to Madison to work on another degree at the UW. Then a job posting lured her to UW-Eau Claire in 1977, where she taught in the English Department and also worked in advising and administration. She retired as Emerita Faculty after 32 years at UW-Eau Claire.

Since retiring from teaching, Gloria Hochstein has enjoyed traveling in her motorhome, snowmobiling, skiing, motorcycling, gardening, and, especially, volunteering with the Eau Claire County Democrats and other non-profits, including The American Legion, Citizen Action, and Sigma Tau Delta, the international English Honors Society. She served on the Board of Directors of Sigma Tau Delta for 14 years, including two years as the President of the Board, and she is still active as a Past President of the organization.

Currently, Gloria Hochstein is the Co-Vice Chair of the Eau Claire County Democrats, and the head of office operations for the year-around Eau Claire County Democratic Resource Center. Gloria is especially involved in efforts to reach out to rural and small town residents, is on the DPW Rural Advisory Council, and was recently elected as Vice Chair of DPW’s Rural Caucus.