Kathleen (Kay) D. Huesmann, 95, of Vineyard, passed away peacefully on January 24, 2020 at home surrounded by family. Kathleen (Miss Kay to her friends) was born in Sumter Township, MN on December 20th, 1924. Following graduation from nearby Glencoe High School, she attended Business College in St. Paul, before joining the then-fledgling Northwest Airlines.
While in St. Paul she was introduced by a friend to her future husband, William H. (Bill) Huesmann, who had recently returned from serving in the Pacific, having survived the bombing of aircraft carrier USS FRANKLIN (CV-13). Marrying on January 31, 1948 near her aunt’s home in Santa Barbara, California, their marriage endured more than fifty years until Mr. Huesmann’s passing in 1998. After a stint raising dairy cattle on their farm in southeastern Minnesota, Mr. Huesmann was recalled to active duty with the Air Force, eventually completing 28 years service and moving the family from Minnesota to France, Missouri, Kansas, New Jersey, Virginia, Guam, Washington State and finally Arkansas where they retired to yet another farm near Greenbrier. Miss Kay managed her family through extended deployments by her husband, as well as her own career along the way, ultimately retiring from the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Little Rock.
She was preceded in death by her parents Henry and Rassie (Cassidy) Goulet; her husband, Bill; and sisters Christine Funderburk of Patrick, SC; and Rosa Homan of Glencoe, MN. She is survived by her children Bill (Jean) Huesmann of Gulf Shores, AL; Karen DelaCruz of Vineyard, UT; Lyn (Bruce) Kelley of Sulphur Rock, AR; Mark Huesmann of Daphne, AL; and Cheri (Tom) Coats of Conway, AR; as well as 17 grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren.
A Celebration of Life will be held in Utah at a future date for family and friends. A Requiem Mass officiated by long-time family friend Fr. Charles Thessing of West Memphis AR, will be held at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 1115 College Ave, Conway, Arkansas at a to-be-determined date for additional family and friends in Arkansas.
Family requests donations in lieu of flowers to Disabled American Veterans (http://www.dav.org).
1 Condolence for Kathleen Doris Goulet Huesmann
Condolence(1)
Kathy Kordsmeier says
January 30, 2020 at 12:07 am“Miss” Kay was one of a kind and a joy to be with. She lived a good life. May she rest in peace.