Person:Cletus Huss (1)

Cletus E. Huss Cletus E. Huss, 93, of Independence House, Fostoria and formerly of New Riegel, died at 4:37 a.m. Tuesday, July 12, 2005, in Fostoria Community Hospital. Born Jan. 11, 1912, in New Riegel to the late Anthony J. and Eva (Theis) Huss, he married Alice Hoffman, who died Oct. 28, 1964. He then married Mary Ann (Beck) Elchert Jan. 11, 1969, at St. Boniface Catholic Church in New Riegel. Survivors include: his wife, Mary Ann Huss of Fostoria; a daughter, Sister Deb Huss C.PP.S. of Dayton; five grandchildren, Brian, Todd, Chad, and Scott Huss, and Vicki Boes; nine great-grandchildren, Alyssa, Ethan, Katie, Connor, Amber, Stephanie, Rosie, Jacob and Juliana; two brothers, Victor (Mary Lou) Huss of Tiffin and Lucian (Lucy) Huss of Pennsylvania; a sister Esther Wilson of New Riegel; and stepchildren, Julia Tiell, Thrasilla Keefe, Nadine Ward and Justin Elchert. He was predeceased by: two sons, Stanley and Albert Huss; two brothers, Marcellus and Francis Huss, and three sisters, Celestia Tiell, Christina Bell and Clara Burkett. Mr. Huss was a bar tender in New Riegel for 11 years, also had owned the Red and White Grocery Store in New Riegel, clerked sales for many auctions, was a 34-year clerk for Big Spring Township - receiving honorary membership as a township clerk. He retired in 1973 from Ford Motor Co., after 25 years of service. His memberships include: All Saints Catholic Parish in New Riegel, CK of O branch 52 of New Riegel, Loyal Order of the Moose 872 in New Riegel, and a 1929 graduate of New Riegel High School. Mass of Christian burial will be 11 a.m. Friday, in All Saints Catholic Parish in New Riegel with Fr. Florian Tiell and Fr. Ron Schock officiating. Burial will be in St. Boniface Cemetery, New Riegel. Visitation will be 2-9 p.m. Thursday in Hoening Funeral Home in Fostoria where a CK of O memorial service will be 4 p.m. followed by a Christian wake service at 8:45 p.m. Visitation will also be from 10-10:45 a.m. Friday at the church in New Riegel where a rosary will be prayed at 10:45 a.m. Memorials are suggested to CK of O Vocation Fund, church, or Activities Fund of Independence House in Fostoria, c/o Hoening Funeral Home, 242 W. Tiffin St., Fostoria, OH 44830. A special thanks to Independence House and the staff and doctors at ICCU of Fostoria Community Hospital for their kindness and care.

Thursday, July 14, 2005 The Advertiser-Tribune (Tiffin, OH)

Article published Thursday, July 14, 2005

CLETUS E. HUSS, 1912-2005 Township clerk worked for Ford

FOSTORIA - Cletus E. Huss, who worked for Ford Motor Co. making spark plugs and served as Big Spring Township clerk in his spare time, died Tuesday in Fostoria Community Hospital. He was 93.

Mr. Huss was born in New Riegel, OH, and lived there until the end of his life. Though he held full-time jobs ranging from bartender to grocer to auto mechanic, he also volunteered as the township clerk for 34 years.

"He just loved to do all those things," his sister, Esther Wilson, said. "He liked to be in different things at the same time."

In the early 1940s, Mr. Huss was nearly killed in a car accident near the Ford factory in New Riegel. Doctors told him he would never walk again, but he regained the use of both legs despite the fact that one was an inch shorter than the other.

"He lived on blood transfusions for a while," his daughter, Deb Huss, said. "He was stubborn, and he was completely determined to walk. It took him four or five years, but he did it."

After graduating from New Riegel High School in 1929, Mr. Huss worked as a bartender for a family friend. About the same time, he became interested in square-dance calling, an activity he continued for 30 years, his daughter said.

Square dances were a popular form of entertainment around New Reigel, where a couple's ticket to a dance hall cost just 40 cents in the 1940s. He met his first wife, Alice, at a dance, his daughter said.

He also worked as a square dance caller for his wedding to his second wife, Mary Ann, after Alice died in 1964.

Mr. Huss originally went to work for Ford as part of a service program that was an alternative to entering the military. He made spark plugs for 25 years, retiring in 1973.

Though he enjoyed his job, his volunteer activities were extremely important to him, his daughter said. As the clerk in Big Spring Township, he kept meeting minutes and organized financial records. "It was just an extra position that he enjoyed and that helped out the community," Ms. Huss said. "He just loved being around people."

Mr. Huss was a life member of the Knights of OH, a fraternal society providing life insurance, and the Loyal Order of the Moose fraternity.

Surviving are his wife, Mary Ann; daughter, Deb; sister, Esther Wilson; stepchildren, Julia Tiell, Thrasilla Keefe, Nadine Ward, and Justin Elchert; five grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.

Visitation will take place from 2 to 9 p.m. today at Hoening Funeral Home, Fostoria, with a Knights of OH service at 4 p.m. today. Services will be held at 11 a.m. tomorrow at All Saints Catholic Church, New Riegel.

The family suggests tributes to the Catholic Knights of OH vocation fund, All Saints Catholic Parish, or the activities fund at Independence House.

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Find A Grave.
2. ↑ His obituary.