Gust Horbal

Gus Horbal, age 105 went home to be with the Lord and his family in heaven on August 2nd 2020. Gus was born on May 24th 1915 in Mpls MN after his parents, Stephen and Kathryn (Wasnick) Horbal moved to the US from Austria. He was the eldest of 9 children, with his two youngest sisters still living today.

He grew up in Ramsey MN on his Fathers Farm until he left home to join the Civilian Conservation Corp in 1933. "The good old days" he said of his time spent there..he was very proud of the work he did there, and he would smile every time he would talk about it. Later this transitioned him into the US Army during WW2. He remained state side and because he had a wife and 4 children back home he received an early honorable discharge to join them.

In 1938 he met his bride to be and in 1940 he married Sylvia Cecelia Potvin. Together they raised 5 children. They had 7 altogether but lost a daughter as an infant of 3 months and a son tragically at the age of 5 years. Gus and Sylvia were long time residents of Robbinsdale MN where they lived in their home for 74 years. In addition to his 5 children, Gus has 21 Grandchildren, 42 Great Grandchildren and 12 Great Great Grandchildren.

In 2014 at the age of 98 it was time he and his wife moved out of their home and into an assisted living environment. Sylvia lived with him there for 3 years before she passed in 2017 at the age of 99 yrs. Gus remained living there alone for 3 more years until he made the transition to a long term care facility in 2020 where he  lived until his recent death. Together he and Sylvia celebrated 76 years of marriage.

Gus was a hard working man all his life. First with North Star Woolen Mills and then the rest of his career as a machinist at the Satterlee Company in Mpls. He enjoyed his work immensely and continued working part time out of his own home after he retired, until the age of 86 years.

Gus enjoyed family gatherings and rarely missed a celebration. Besides many celebrations of his own with his wife, (birthday, anniversaries and other special occasions), one week after his 104th birthday on June 1st 2019 he was able to attend his youngest Granddaughters wedding..thanks to a very good friend! This party gave him somewhat of a new lease on life for another 6 months.

Gus liked to travel, loved fishing and dancing! He even enjoyed just sitting in his backyard for hours watching anything and everything that was going on around him, whether it was a ball game across the street or construction going on in the road. He was amazed at those large machines and tractors etc and at what they could do!

He had a love for nature and a heart for animals. He would care for and feed the birds, squirrels, rabbits, ducks and geese, what have you..anything that wandered into his yard. He once saved a dying goose by bringing it to the humane society where it was nursed back to health and then released. The Humane Society nicknamed the goose "Gus". He had a pet duck that he named "Sidewash".

He was active in the Knights of Columbus where he became a 4th degree Knight over time and participated in many events including multiple parades and fundraisers. He remained an honorable member of the Knights up to this day.

He also enjoyed hobbies such as woodworking. He would craft lazy susans, airplanes, birdhouses and yard ornaments and gift them to people. He also enjoyed his yard work. Gus was a very organized person. Everything had its place, especially in his basement.

Gus was alive through the Great Depression and was still alive to witness this second pandemic! The first pandemic was the Spanish Flu in 1918 when he was just 3 yrs. old.

When anyone asked him what his secret to longevity was, he would answer " I had a good wife" and "my copenhagen chew is what keeps me going ". This he enjoyed up to the age of 104. Because he lived through the depression, he had a habit of saving literally EVERYTHING, including every copenhagen can that he opened. The family collected them all from his home and created a 3 foot wall honoring his 100th birthday  in 2015.

Gus is survived by his 5 children. The oldest daughter, Joyce. Twin boys Russell and wife Sandra, Raymond and wife Linda, another daughter Karen and her husband Don Langford, and Rebecca and her husband Rick Burton. Also survived by his Grandchildren, Great Grand Children, Great Great Grandchildren and 2 sisters, Betty of CA and Gerry of CO.

He is preceded in death by his loving wife Sylvia, A young son, Robert and infant daughter Joanne. Granddaughters, Nancy Horbal and Julieann Euerle. His parents, one brother and five sisters.

GUS will be forever remembered and forever missed by his family and all who knew him!