Martin E. Duesterhoeft

Obituary

Martin Duesterhoeft was born on November 21, 1924, at home in Lynn Township, McLeod County, Minnesota, to Julius and Friederike (Otto) Duesterhoeft. He was baptized into the family of God at home on November 26, 1924, by Rev. Henry Albrecht, and confirmed in his faith on June 24, 1938, by Rev. J. Weiss, at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lynn Township. Martin completed first and second grades at the Zion Parochial school in Lynn Township, grades third thru eighth at District 20, and high school at Hutchinson High School where he graduated in 1942. During high school, Martin was involved in Future Farmers of America where he was named State Farmer in 1942. He was also a member of the basketball team of which he was co-captain and forward.

Martin was in the Minnesota State Guard from 1942 to March of 1946 when he was drafted into the Army. He received his basic training at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and completed Airborne training at Fort Benning in Georgia. He remained at Fort Benning after training as an Airborne training instructor until he was honorably discharged in October 1947.

On June 4, 1948, he was united in marriage to Fern Coffin at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church. They were married 42 ½ years when Fern died on Jan 16, 1991, after an eight-year battle with leukemia. Martin married a second time on August 25, 1992, to Clara Nell King at the United Methodist Church in Collinwood, TN.

Martin was a lifetime member at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church and also was a member at Our Redeemer Lutheran in Florence. Alabama. Martin was proud of being a dairy farmer all his life. He and Fern purchased the Coffin family farm in 1951 which was Fern's home all her life and his until September 15, 2010, when he became a resident of Tennessee.

In addition to farming, Martin enjoyed playing baseball with the West Lynn baseball team, hunting, fishing, bowling, playing cards, watching sports, and most of all visiting with people. He was a member of the Appaloosa Horse Club, a director of the Minnesota Valley Breeders Association, and treasurer of the West Lynn Coop Creamery for 30 years, 1956 to 1986.

He is survived by more than 30 nieces and nephews and their spouses, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren; step-daughter Margaret (Eddie) Thompson; step-son Travis (Debie) Pigg; step­ grandchildren and step-great-grandchildren; and many friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Julius and Friederike Duesterhoeft; his wives, Fern and Clara Nell; and siblings, Juliann (Alfred) Schramm, Marie (Carl) Quast, Bertha (Henry) Schramm, Otto (Evalyn) Duesterhoeft, Daniel Duesterhoeft, Ernst (Alvina) Duesterhoeft, Ruth (Mike) Hagen, Louise (Louis) Reckow, John (Ruth) Duesterhoeft, Immanuel (Joyce) Duesterhoeft and Gary (Delores) Duesterhoeft; father and mother-in-law, Ralph and Ella Coffin; brother-in-law, David Coffin; several nieces and nephews; and step-daughter-in-law, Sherry Pigg.