Willard Duda

Willard Duda passed away peacefully in his sleep of natural causes on January 12, 2011, at the Lake Regional Hospital in Fergus Falls .

Willard Alton Duda was born on February 4th, 1921, in Ward Township , located in rural Clarissa , Minn. , the son of Willam and Anna (Helle) Duda.  He was baptized in the Bethel Lutheran Church and confirmed in Our Saviors Lutheran Church in Clarissa. He graduated from the Clarissa High school class of 1939.

Willard entered the U.S. Air Force in 1942, where he went through the Cadets Program, receiving training to become a pilot. He served in the Air Force until 1946, working with electronics on B-29's all over the United States .

Willard and his high school sweetheart, Irene Dixon, were married on August 18, 1944, in the St. Olaf Lutheran Church in Minneapolis , Minn. After his honorable discharge from the U.S. Air Force, the couple returned to Clarissa where he was employed with his dad at Duda's Pure Oil Station. They then moved to Staples, where he worked at Anderson Hardware. During this time, he took night classes in Banking School in Little Falls, and in 1950, he started working with the First State Bank in Grey Eagle where he was promoted to Vice President. From 1952 to 1972, Willard worked as the Vice President at the Bank of Elbow Lake where the couple raised their three children. Later Willard began four years of employment with Lutheran Brotherhood in Hudson , Ohio . The couple then returned to Clarissa, where he worked one year with Farmers State Bank, before returning to Elbow Lake where he was with the Savings and Loan for the next ten years. After his tenure at the Savings and Loan, he spent five years with the Wendell State Bank in Wendell , Minn.

During his time in Elbow Lake, Willard served the community in several positions, including member and treasurer of the Elbow Lake school board, President of the Elbow Lake Lions Club, Chairman of the Elbow Lake Sister City Fellowship, 1st General Chairman of the Flekkefest Celebration, member of the Grant County Cancer society, and member of the Fergus Falls Community College advisory board. Willard also enjoyed teaching Sunday school, singing in the church choir and singing with the Grant County Barbershop Chorus. As a World War II veteran, Willard served as the Commander of the Grant County American Legion and other posts in West Central Minnesota.

The couple retired to their home on West Battle Lake in 1987.  Here, Willard was a member of the American Legion, member of the Lions Club, served as President of the First Lutheran Church Board and sang in the choir. Willard enjoyed fishing, hunting and woodworking.

Willard is survived by his wife, Irene; two daughters Jane (John) Neraas of Parker, Colorado and January (Rich) Dixon of Cortez, Colorado; four grandchildren, Luke (Claire) Neraas, Anna (Chase) Neraas, and Leah (Lance) Reedstrom, and Nicholas Duda; one  great grand-daughter, Arlee Neraas; and by numerous relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, William and Anna Duda, his son Ronald Willard Duda, brother Lloyd Duda, and sister Deloris Hansen.

In lieu of flowers memorials preferred to First Lutheran Building Fund or American Cancer Society.