Merlyn Duane Huset, 81

Winnebago — Merlyn Duane Huset, age 81, of Winnebago, died May 20, 2009, at St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester. Funeral services were held Saturday, May 23, 2009, at 11 a.m., at the Lutheran Church of Our Savior in Winnebago. Rev. Ronald Jobe officiated. Burial was in Riverside Cemetery, Winnebago. Spencer-Owen Funeral Home, Inc. was in charge of arrangements.

Merlyn Duane Huset was the youngest child of Clarence and Alma (Olson) Huset, born in Osage, Iowa, on Jan. 20, 1928. He was educated in the Osage Public Schools. He worked for several farmers in the area before being employed by Cedar Valley Produce. In 1946, he enlisted in the U.S. Army at Fort Snelling and served with Company 1 Motor Battalion as an automotive equipment operator with General Headquarters in Tokyo, Japan. During this assignment he was given the honor of being chauffeur for General Douglas A. MacArthur. He was honorably discharged in September 1947 and received the Army of Occupation Medal, Japan and World War II Victory Medal.

After discharge he worked as a plumber for George B. Laughlin Plumbing in Osage. On June 18, 1950, he was united in marriage to Bonnie (Watts) Huset. In June 1954, the family moved to New Richland then to Winnebago, where he was manager of the tile plant until he purchased the Huset Ready Mix plant. He had been employed for thirty years by Royer Plumbing and Heating of Winnebago until he retired in 1993

He was a member of Jaycees, the Winnebago Fire Department, and the American Legion, and a former Legion Commander.

Survivors include wife, Bonnie; daughter, Debra Huset of Burnsville; son, David (Cindy) Huset of Fairmont, their children Timothy and Jayden; daughter-in-law, Cheryl (Jim) Ferguson of Canby, her son Sean Huset; sister-in-law Madeline Huset of Osage; brother-in-law, Bill (Claudia) Watts of Vancouver, Wash., and several nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts and uncles.

He was preceded in death by his parents, two sisters, two brothers, two sons, Douglas Huset and Daryl Huset, one grandson, Matthew Huset, and one granddaughter, Stephanie Shupick.

Web tributes may be left at www.spencerowen.com