by Joni Astrup
Associate Editor
At age 105, Stella Huso has the distinction of being the nation’s oldest living Gold Star Mother on record.
As with all Gold Star Mothers, it’s a recognition born of tragedy. The designation is for mothers who lost sons or daughters in active service of the United States armed forces.
Huso lost her son, Wayde, to enemy artillery fire in Vietnam on Aug. 13, 1969. A 1967 graduate of Big Lake High School, Wayde was just 20 years old when he died.
“He was a real nice boy, a very good kid all his life,” his mother said. “He never was any problem. It was remarkable. He had lots of friends. Even dogs liked him.”
Wayde had attended St. Cloud State after high school and enlisted in the Army in May 1968. He left for Vietnam on Mother’s Day in 1969. Three months later, he was killed in action.
In one of his letters home, Huso said her son wrote that he didn’t know why they were there, but he hoped it was for a good cause.
His death was tough on the whole family, his mother said. He was one of five children and especially close to his youngest sibling, Rosemarie. They were a year apart in school, and he looked out for her. Huso said one of her fondest memories is of the two of them walking home from school as little kids, holding hands, and Rosemarie singing as they walked.
Years after her son’s death, she attended the dedication of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., where Wayde’s name is etched on the black granite wall.
“I knew that Wayde would want me to be there,” she said.
She is honored by Sherburne County
Huso was honored recently by the Sherburne County Board of Commissioners in Elk River, which proclaimed Jan. 16 as Stella Huso Day, in recognition of her community dedication and as a Gold Star Mother.
Huso’s story is one of resilience, patriotism and unwavering dedication to her family and country, according to Josh Wiemann, deputy county veterans service officer.
She was born on Jan. 8, 1919, and grew up on a farm in Portland, N.D. As a girl, she milked cows and walked two and a half miles to attend a one-room schoolhouse. She graduated from Hatton High School in 1937. She said her heritage is 100% Norwegian.
Growing up, Huso weathered the years of the Great Depression (“They were awful”) when rain was scarce and the dust blew. She also survived the tragedy of losing her mother in 1932 when Huso was 13. With four brothers and an older sister, Huso said her sister was a great help to the family after their mother died.
As a young woman, she met Ordin Huso and married him on Dec. 20, 1939. They share five children: Diane, Steve, Patricia, Wayde, and Rosemarie.
They moved several times as Ordin worked at various creameries before landing a job as a licensed engineer at the Land O’Lakes plant in St. Michael. They put down roots in Big Lake.
Stella Huso joined the Big Lake American Legion Auxiliary Unit 147 in 1978 and has been an active member over the years.
“You will never meet another person like her in your lifetime,” said Kathy Poslusny, auxiliary president.
She said she is warm and genuine and gives good advice, tells it like it is and has a good sense of humor.
Besides being a Legion auxiliary member, Huso has been a Sunday school teacher and superintendent, was in the PTA and has been involved in politics.
Sherburne County Commissioner Raeanne Danielowski, of Big Lake, said Huso is an amazing woman.
“You just can’t say enough good things about her,” she said.
A ‘Stellabration’ for her 105th birthday
Huso’s community has honored her over the years, including;
• At age 100, she was the grand marshal of Big Lake’s Spud Fest Parade.
• At 102, she attended the dedication of the Freedom Rock in Big Lake. Her portrait is one of those featured on the rock located in Lakeside Park.
• To celebrate her 105th birthday, a “Stellabration” party was held in Big Lake, hosted by the Big Lake American Legion and Auxiliary. Huso arrived in a limousine. The program had a patriotic flavor and was capped off with a “Happy Birthday” sing-along led by Todd Anderson as Elvis.
As the years have gone by, Huso lost her husband and four of her five children, but has a number of grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.
One of her grandchildren is Caron Watzke, of Las Vegas. Watzke said she talks to her grandmother on a regular basis, often for an hour or so at a time. They discuss everything from politics to their family’s history.
“She knows so much about our ancestry. I’m trying to take it in as much as possible,” Watzke said.
Huso lives independently in an apartment in Buffalo, surrounded by mementos of her long and productive life. A red, white and blue quilt covers the back of her chair and a framed photo of Wayde is on display, along with his military medals and a rubbing of his name on The Wall.
Huso enjoys good health and said for years she has taken a lot of vitamins.
She has been interviewed by reporters a number of times and joked, “I’m going to have to get a security guard pretty soon if this keeps on.”
She was asked what it is like to be 105.
“I don’t really notice any difference than I was when I was 100,” she said, chuckling. “The time just goes by and I go on with things as usual. I don’t know where the time has gone, really. The good Lord must have had something in mind for me. He still wants me to be around for awhile.”
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