Hartford, WI – Clayton Wayne Oosterhuis passed away peacefully on September 7, 2021, at Majestic Heights Assisted Living in Hartford, WI. He was 85 years old.
Clayton was born at home on the family farm on February 21, 1936, to Frank and Myrtle (Brettingen) Oosterhuis in Mora, Minnesota. He and his younger sister Marlys spent their childhoods on the farm, with Clayton graduating from Mora High School in 1954. He joined the United States Air Force the day after graduating, serving for four years, including two and a half overseas in what was then called Formosa (now Taiwan). After 4 ½ years in the Air Force Reserve, Clayton received his Honorable Discharge in June 1962.
While attending the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, Clayton met Barbara A. McLean from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada, and they married six months later, on September 23, 1961. He graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1962 with an accounting degree. Clayton and Barb started a family shortly thereafter, adding Jeff and Gail in the following few years.
Clayton worked for larger companies as an accountant, plant manager, salesperson, and in human resources, moving he and his family to South Dakota, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and finally settling in Wisconsin.
While his career was important to him, eventually becoming a Certified Managerial Accountant, he really enjoyed serving his community and church. While a young father in Mora, MN, Clayton served as Jaycees President, Jaycees State Vice President Region IV, Chairman of the Kanabec County Red Cross Chapter, a volunteer ambulance driver for the Kanabec County Hospital and, in 1968, was part of the committee to extend a Jaycees chapter at the Federal Correctional Institution at Sandstone, MN.
After settling in Hartford, WI in 1976, Clayton was treasurer of the First United Methodist Church for 30 years. He often said he could not sing in the choir so he helped with the church books instead. Clayton was an active member of the Hartford Lions Club, serving as President in 1994-95 and an active member of the American Legion, Post 19, serving as Legion Commander in 2006-2010.
Clayt and Barb loved to travel and did a great deal of that after putting two kids through college at UW-Madison and finally retiring from accounting and nursing, respectively.
Clayt wished to see all 50 states, which he and Barb accomplished, and was able to see 8 of the 10 Canadian provinces. He was also fortunate to travel on six cruises with close family and friends. Clayt loved to fish, getting up many Saturday mornings before the sun rose to drive to Port Washington to fish on Lake Michigan, and traveling yearly to Canada with Minnesota cousins, son, and son-in-law to fish for a solid week. Clayt also kept in close contact with his college buddies and traveled with them and their wives every other year to various locations, including the University of Minnesota campus, Washington DC, Branson, Door County, and the Columbia River in Portland, OR.
Clayt is survived by his wife of 59 years, Barb; children Jeff (Jenny) Oosterhuis and Gail (Rick) Henslin, grandchildren Ali and Jack Oosterhuis, and step-grandsons David and Matthew Henslin. He is preceded in death by his parents, in-laws Russel and Bernice McLean, son Greg, sister Marlys, and nephew Tim.
Clayt’s family would like to extend their heartfelt gratitude to the staff of Majestic Heights for their devoted and kind care given during Clayt’s January 2020 to September 2021 stay.
A graveside and committal service with military honors will take place at 1:00 PM on Saturday, October 9, 2021, at Oakwood Cemetery, 520 Central Avenue West, Mora, Minnesota 55051.