DuWayne Honrud

DuWayne Merrill Honrud, 66, of rural Rothsay, died Monday, August 20, 2012, at his home following a brief battle with cancer. He was under the care of Lakeland Hospice. He was born November 22, 1945, in Fergus Falls to Alfred and Mabel (Lillevold) Honrud of Rothsay, Minnesota. He was baptized and confirmed at Hamar Lutheran Church and attended Rothsay public schools. On April 7, 1967, he married Beverly Thom at Central Lutheran Church, rural Pelican Rapids. They made their home on DuWayne’s family farm until purchasing their own farm in 1969. They raised their two sons and lived there for 23 years. DuWayne continued with dairy and farmed until selling the crop acres. He then worked for various manufacturing companies: Beacon Engineering, Rothsay, Dynamic Industries, Barnesville, and others. The last 25 years of employment were at ShoreMaster, Inc. in Fergus Falls. In 1992 they built a home by the lake and in 1998 they moved back to the family farm. A dream-come-true for him, for he had remained a farmer at heart. He loved his family and the land and enjoyed being outdoors. His employment kept him indoors but his hobbies included raising and selling potatoes, cutting firewood, putting up hay, and raising Hereford beef cattle. He enjoyed deer hunting with his sons, a special Golden Retriever named Barney, and, in more recent years, caring for a small mare named Sage. He liked auction sales, attending Big Iron, and trips to northern Minnesota and Montana. He took great pride in his farm machinery – especially his tractors, a 4230 John Deere, a B John Deere, and an H Farmall. DuWayne retired in October of 2010. During his first winter of retirement he wrote and published a book about his memories of growing up on the farm and included some history of the family farm and the previous three generations. He was a lifelong member of Hamar/New Life Lutheran Church and had served on the church council. He received ShoreMaster’s “Presidents Award” in 1995 in recognition of his outstanding work ethic and service to customers and fellow employees. Preceding him in death were his parents, Alfred and Mabel Honrud, a nephew, Troy Honrud, his father-in-law, Herbert Thom, and aunts, uncles and cousins. Survivors include his wife of 45 years, Bev; two sons: Greg (friend Kim Anderson-Moen) Honrud, Rothsay, and Brian (Lutia) Honrud, Brooklyn Park; three grandchildren: Melissa, Megan and Matthew Honrud; brothers: Arvid (Connie) Honrud, Farmington, and Don (Sandy) Honrud, Battle Lake; sister, Rose (Randy) Mattson, Annandale; mother-in-law, Ruth Thom, and sister-in-law Cora (Bruce) Nelson, Fergus Falls; and many first cousins and extended family. Memorials are preferred to New Life Lutheran Church or Partners in Rothsay, or to Lakeland Hospice, Fergus Falls. Visitation: 5-7 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home and resumes one hour prior to the service at the church. Service: 1 p.m. Friday, August 24, 2012, at New Life Lutheran Church in Rothsay Clergy: Reverend Paul Huso Interment: Hamar Cemetery, rural Rothsay Olson Funeral Home in Fergus Falls is in charge of the arrangements.