Sunshine, Sun Set

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Behind every blogname, there is a real name. And a real life. And ours has been hit hard by one of those life milestones you hope to forestall as long as possible. My Mr. Sunshine is Lincoln Lyle Huseby, and here is his story.

Lincoln Lyle Huseby was a lifelong resident of the Clara Barton neighborhood of South Fargo. He was born February 9, 1948, the oldest child of Lyle Huseby and Helen McPhail Huseby.

His lifelong love of sports intertwined with a strong work ethic. He earned his Boy Scout Eagle rank at age 13 and traveled to the World Jamboree on the Plains of Marathon, Greece.

He played hockey, baseball, football for the Clara Barton Roadrunners, Agassiz, Fargo Central Midgets, and NDSU Bison. He played baseball for the Fargo Legion team, noteworthy for his strong hits and slow running. And carried that forward to slowpitch softball and The Uncommon Men.

Lincoln met his wife Sandy in creative writing class at NDSU then disappeared from class to fight the flood of 1969 on South River Road. Reunited that fall, their rapport was instant and enduring. While at NDSU, Lincoln hosted the late night Jazz Closet on KDSU Radio.

Lincoln is the father of two children, Dakota (Royce Vollmer), talk radio host in Grand Forks, and Morgan, doctoral candidate at York University, Toronto. His grandson Justice Huseby Vollmer is already learning Grandpa Lincoln’s strong lessons of intellectual curiosity and a moral compass of caring for people from all walks of life.

Lincoln’s entire career was in insurance. He began at the Sons of Norway, then years with American Family Insurance. He and his longtime friend and colleague Duane Hovland formed the independent agency H&H Insurance. When that successful business was acquired by First International Bank, they became vice presidents of the First International Insurance division, overseeing operations around North Dakota and in Minnesota and Arizona.

Lincoln served on the task force which developed Continuing Education standards for insurance agents in North Dakota. He also served on insurance companies’ advisory boards.

While he loved travel ever since his childhood, and Lincoln and Sandy shared time in Italy and Spain, Canada and Mexico, twice to Morocco, his enduring weekend home is his Hubbard County cabin, which became a sanctuary when chronic illnesses tried to slow him down.

He loved hunting and fishing, including trips to the northern waters of Canada with buddies, upland game hunting with his dad and brothers, deer hunting with his father-in-law Clarence, and antelope hunting with Sandy and friends and family. More recently he preferred watching wildlife and contributed to the phenology column in the Park Rapids Enterprise.

Saddled with the twin dragons of chronic leukemia and PAD for over six years, still Lincoln worked right until the day he went into Innovis. He chose to transfer to Mayo’s Methodist Hospital for more advanced care when his leukemia transformed acute.

Lincoln died early Saturday, July 11, 2009 with his family at his side in Rochester. He was preceded in death by his parents, Helen and Lyle Huseby, his grandparents Walter and Vivian Huseby and Alex and Alice McPhail.

He is survived by his wife Sandy, his daughter Dakota and son Morgan, his son-in-law Royce Vollmer and grandson Justice. His sisters Heather (John Dawson) and Robin (Mark Johnson), his brothers Cody and Custer (Lynelle). His mother-in-law, Delores Scheel and brother and sisters-in-law Rod (Jolene), Sue and Lori Scheel. Nieces and nephews Kelsey Dawson; Meredith Larson, Clay and Emily Johnson; Medora, Alexander and Rachel Huseby; and Carson Huseby. Also, Lindsey, Courtney, Jesse and Abby Scheel; Lydia and Matt Stinar. His best man, Mark Schneider, his business partner Duane Hovland, and his First International Insurance family

The Huseby family invite you to celebrate Lincoln’s life and enduring spirit Thursday, July 16, at 2 p.m. at St. John Lutheran, by Lindenwood Park in Fargo. And recommend memorials to: Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, The New Life Center, YWCA Shelter for Women and Children, Great Plains Food Bank, or the human needs charity of your preference.

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