FAIRFAX - Charles "Chuck" Busch, age 81, of Fairfax, passed away Monday, July 23, 2012, at the St. John Nursing Home in Springfield.
Memorial Services will be Saturday, July 28, at 11 a.m. at the United Methodist Church in Fairfax, with Pastor Jeff Daniels officiating. Inurnment will be in Ft. Ridgely Cemetery, Ridgely Township, Nicollet County. Military Honors by the Fairfax Honor Guard.
Visitation will be Saturday, July 28, 2012, 9-11 a.m. at the United Methodist Church in Fairfax.
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Charles "Chuck" Granger Busch was born on March 16, 1931, in New York City, NY. He was the son of Raymond T. and Virginia (Granger) Busch. The family moved to Gaylord, from the East in 1938, and Chuck attended grade school there. He entered Breck School (then a military school in St. Paul) as a freshman and graduated in the class of 1949. Chuck attended Grinnell College, Grinnell, Iowa, and the University of Minnesota, before enlisting in the U.S. Navy. While in the Navy, Chuck served on a repair ship on the east coast, and a sea-going tug based in Cuba, Panama, and the Virgin Islands. Chuck served his final year at Bremerton and Seattle, Wash., where he was Honorably Discharged in December of 1955.
On July 23, 1955, Chuck was united in marriage to Dorothy Johnson at the Methodist Church in Fairfax. They were married for 57 years.
In 1956, Chuck returned to college on the G.I. Bill, graduating in June of 1958, with a BA in Business Administration from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter. Chuck accepted a position in the Executive Training Program at the Dayton Company. He worked for Dayton's for five years, before moving on to retail positions in Albert Lea and St. Cloud. Chuck taught grade school for two years (something he always wanted to do) before returning to retail in Fairfax, eventually opening his own store. After retirement, Chuck worked in a department store in Pensacola, Fla., returned to Fairfax and held part time positions at Dittmer Oil and K-Mart in New Ulm.
As a child, Chuck built a puppet theater and entertained the neighborhood kids with many productions. Around the age of 16, Chuck took up painting, both watercolors and oils, and continued this hobby, along with designing and building model ships, planes, and rockets, as long as he was able.
Chuck was a member of the United Methodist Church in Fairfax, the C&C in Fairfax, Mayflower CC, and a charter member of the FCC (Fairfax Crash Club). Chuck was the chair of the Fairfax United Way for 10 years. He was a member of the American Legion Post #205 for 41 years.
Chuck enjoyed camping, especially at Grand Marais and Itasca Park. He liked cooking (and eating), and often scanned cookbooks looking for new recipes to try. He enjoyed music, ranging from the Classics to Ella Fitzgerald to Fleetwood Mac!
In 1998, Chuck started having issues with Alzheimer's; he was treated in New Ulm, and Mayo Clinic, before entering a Senior Treatment Program at Fairview-Riverside in Minneapolis. In 2001, Chuck began attending Heart to Heart in Olivia, an elderly daycare program. In the fall of 2003, no longer able to manage at home, Chuck entered the Golden Living Center in Olivia, later transferring to Fairfax Community Home for four years, and eventually, St. John Home in Springfield, in February of 2007 until his death. Blessed be his memory.
Chuck is survived by his wife, Dorothy Busch of Fairfax; sons, Fritz Busch and his wife, Marietta of Sleepy Eye, and their children, Katherina Busch, Andrew Busch, Kristina Busch, and Jessica Busch; and Dave Busch and his wife, Jody of Fairfax, and their children, Andrea Lieser and her husband, Matt, and their son Hudson; Ashley Linsmeier and her husband, Grant, Alex Busch and his fiance, Alyssa Neid, and Abby Busch; sister and brother-in-law, Katie Weiblen and her husband, Paul of Minneapolis; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Arnie Johnson and his wife, Arlys of International Falls; nieces and a nephew, other relatives and friends.
Chuck was preceded in death by his parents, Raymond and Virginia Busch; Dorothy's parents, Arnold and Beatrice Johnson; and a special uncle, Carl Busch.
Arrangements by Hauser-Hantge Funeral Chapel in Fairfax. Online obituaries and guest book available at www.hantge.com. Please click on obituaries and guest book.