On August 11, 2024, Stella Huso, the Nation’s Oldest Living Gold Star Mother, decided it was time to go home to our Lord. She was adamant about not dying in the cold of winter and God gracefully honored her request. 

She was preceded in death by her children Steven Huso, Tricia (Huso) Seifert, Wayde Huso, RoseMarie (Huso) Kay and her husband Ordin Huso in 1997. She is survived by her daughter Diane Conti, eight grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren and eight great-great grandchildren.

 At 105 years and six months old she was still living on her own in a 55 and over community in Buffalo, MN where she enjoyed playing bingo with her friends. On July 1, 2024, after a short stay at Buffalo Hospital she transferred over to Lake Ridge Senior Care and St Croix Hospice where she spent her final resting days. She passed peacefully of natural causes with family and friends by her side. 

Stella was born on January 8, 1919, in Portland, North Dakota to Torkel and Anna (Holmen) Torkelson. Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States. World War I had ended in November 1918. The Spanish Flu pandemic lasted from 1918-1920. She survived a second pandemic after getting COVID in 2020. She lived through so much of our history and shared these events with enthusiasm and in great detail!  

 She was the fourth of six children: Earl 1913, Alice 1915, Rueben 1916, Stella 1919, Norman 1920, and Arnold 1922. They lived on their Homesteaded family farm in Enger Township, North Dakota where they grew barley and wheat.  Stella regularly milked cows and rounded up eggs from their 100+ chickens and brought them to the store in exchange for other supplies and groceries. 

At only 13 years of age, Stella’s mother Anna tragically passed away leaving her older sister Alice, aged 17, to step in and fill their mother’s shoes.  Keeping the house and caring for the younger siblings while their father and the boys tended to the farm.  They walked three miles to the Country School House through eighth grade. At this time Stella was just getting ready to start high school.

 In Stella style she was determined to continue her education and go to high school. She is forever grateful to the Grefsheim family, who opened their home to her. She was active in school and played softball, basketball, and volleyball.  In 1937 she proudly graduated from Hatton High School in Sharon, North Dakota. She had hoped to go to college, but they did not have much money because of the Depression. Throughout her life she loved reading books and keeping up with holistic health, current events, politics, and government affairs.

Stella later met and married Ordin Huso in 1939 in Mayville, ND where they had their first daughter Diane. They moved to Fosston, MN in 1942 and lived in several other towns along the way. They had four more children, Steven, Patricia, Wayde and RoseMarie. They settled in Big Lake, MN while the kids were growing up and going to school.

Even with a busy household she found time to teach Sunday School and plan vacations for the family. She enjoyed music, especially the piano, cooking, sewing, making quilts and needle point. She loved her clothes and dressing nicely each day. She loved to travel and visited all but two states and made a few nice trips abroad. And not forgetting her roots, she traveled to Norway. She could even speak Norwegian.

 After the kids all graduated high school Stella and her husband built their own home from the ground up and moved to Hanover, MN in 1969. This was the year her son Wayde Murray Huso was killed in action in Vietnam, making her a Gold Star Mother.

After Wayde’s death Stella joined the Big Lake American Legion Auxiliary #147 and attended meetings and events for decades. So many members and connections from the Legion and Auxiliary have become dear friends and are more like family.  Staying involved, she was an election delegate. She worked extensively on the Holmen family tree with her cousin and had an amazing recall of dates, names, and places.

She was at her happiest when the grandkids started coming. She loved them and they loved her even more. A trip to grandma’s house for birthday parties and holidays was always looked forward to. Writing actual letters back and forth was quite common. Flying to Minnesota or driving a distance to see Grandma was a priority for her grandchildren. What 21-year-old wants to spend his birthday and have his first legal beer with their grandmother? When it is Stella, you do!

Many have asked her what her secret is to a long life. Her daily regiment did not include prescription drugs other than eye drops. She would tell you to stay faithful, keep moving every day, read and do puzzles to keep your mind active, avoid processed foods, eat fish, take your vitamins, and enjoy one cold beer!