Hugo Weber

Hugo Ralph Weber, who many of use new as "Hook," was born on April 2, 1920 in Verndale Minnesota to John and Josephine (Schumacher) Weber. He attended catholic school in Wadena and high school in Verndale. He grew up with four sisters: Marie Weber; Margaret Schlicht (Leo); Kate Dissmore (Lawrence); Sue Sowder (Lee); and two brothers: Ted Weber (Mildred) and Joe Weber (Florence). Hugo enjoyed playing basketball in high school. He worked at the Verndale Oil Station when he was 17 and 18, then traveled west to Wenache, Washington to pick fruit and seek adventure. He decided that picking fruit was a terrible job, so he moved on to Inglewood, California where he worked for North American Aviation building fuel tanks in P-51 Mustangs during World War II. While working at North American Aviation, he noticed a pretty, southern girl whose job was putting skins around the guns on the B-25 Bombers noses. The two struck up a conversation, then struck up a romance. They were married in California on April 9, 1945. The pretty, young lady was Ruth Naomi Johnson, now his wife of 61 years and a current resident of the Fair Oaks Loft. Ruth was originally from Kansas City, Missouri and had moved to California in 1941 to help the war effort. After they were married, Ruth and Hugo moved back to Verndale. He purchased an old church in the country, which he moved to town and made into his happy home. After many years of carpentry, the home remains in the same spot in Verndale as a comfortable rambler with a garage. Hugo became the manager of the municipal liquor store and was a bus driver for Verndale High School. It was a busy time for Ruth and Hugo, but somehow they managed to produce five children: Gary, Donna, Jody, Willie and Naomi. In the early '60s, Hugo opened "Hooks Drive-In" in Verndale. This drive-in restaurant featured car hops in the summer and the best homemade donuts in Wadena County. The cook was Hugo's brother Ted's wife Mildred Weber. The restaurant stayed open year round with inside seating for home cooked dinners and short orders. In the summers, he also worked hard for a local road paver. During the last few years before retirement, Hugo worked at Verndale High School as a custodian and continued his career-long bus driving job. He served nine years on the Verndale City Council and was a volunteer firemen for 22 years. He retired from the school in 1983. Hugo was an avid hunter and fisherman, bringing home deer, pheasant, quail, duck and fish of all kinds. He also was an excellent gardener, tending a large plot in his backyard. It produced vegetables for the family table. His bowling and horseshoe throwing skills where well know amongst his friends. In his later years, he spent summers at area lakes with his children making use of his many talents to help take care of their lake homes and removing all the fish from the lake! Hugo was an honest, hardworking man, often known as a "jack of all trades," who was known and loved by many. One of Ruth and Hugo's children, Willie, still lives in Verndale. The other four children and their families live in the Fargo-Moorhead area. Hugo and Ruth are the proud grandparents to 12 grandchildren. Hugo died on April 1, one day before his 86th birthday and eight days before his 61st wedding anniversary. He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers Joe & Ted;sisters Marie, Sue, Kate & Margaret and a grandson Nicholas Mattern. He is survived by his wife Ruth; sons Gary (Deb) of Moorhead & Willie (Julie) of Verndale; daughters Donna (Robert) Odegaard of Kindred, ND, Jody (Rich) Mattern of West Fargo, ND & Naomi Weber of Fargo, ND and 12 grandchildren. The Mass of Christian Burial will take place on Wednesday, April 5th at St. Frederick's Catholic Church in Verndale with Fr. Albert Holmes and Fr. Michael Kellogg as celebrants. Honorary pallbearers will be all of Hugo's hunting and fishing buddies, Verndale High School co-workers and all the many friends who enriched his life throughout the years. Active pallbearers will be his grandsons Brady Odegaard, Casey Odegaard, Jered Weber, Trenton Weber, Cole Weber, Kelly Weber & Riley Weber and son in laws Robert Odegaard & Rich Mattern. Burial will take place in the St. Frederick's Catholic Cemetery in Verndale following the services.

Hugo Weber

April 2, 1920 - April 1, 2006