Fr. Edwin H. Hustedde's Obituary
Surrounded by the presence and love of his family, Edwin H. Hustedde entered his eternal life in God early Sunday morning, June 6th. He was born Oct. 14, 1929, in Breese, IL, the son of the late Edwin G. & Cecilia (Sherman) Hustedde.
He attended St. Henry’s Prep School, St. Mary of the Lake Seminary, and St. Louis University. He was ordained a priest in 1956, and began his ministry at Sts. Peter & Paul Parish, Waterloo, IL. In 1959, he was assigned as Superintendent of Sts. Peter & Paul High School in Waterloo and appointed Principal of Gibault High School in 1967. In 1983, he became pastor of St. Anthony’s in Beckemeyer. In 1993, he returned to Gibault as Director of Development, Pastor of St. Mary’s in Valmeyer, as well as Immaculate Conception in Madonnaville, where he remained until the present day.
He is survived by:
Sisters - Margaret M. Beckmann of Breese, IL, and Mary Therese (Tom) Molitor of O'Fallon, IL.
Brother - Richard (Roselyn) Hustedde of Breese
Sister-In-Law - Clare Hustedde of Breese
Nieces and Nephews - Karen Harrell, Michelle Netemeyer, Glenn Beckmann, Mark Molitor, Beth O'Connor, Lynn de Weck, and Nicole Gray
He was preceded in death by:
Father - Edwin G. Hustedde
Mother - Cecilia (Sherman) Hustedde
Brother - Jerome Hustedde
Fr. Ed’s body will be received at Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church, Waterloo, IL, on Wednesday, June 9, 2004, at 3:00 PM with visitation to follow until 9:00 PM. Most Rev. Bishop Wilton D. Gregory will preside at the Mass of Resurrection which will be held at Saints Peter & Paul on Thursday, June 10, 2004, at 11:00 AM. Burial will be at St. Dominic Catholic Cemetery, in Breese, IL. For more information, please access our website (www.lawlorfuneralhome.com).
Many people answer life’s challenges with “I can’t.” Fr. Ed always answered with “I will.” When God challenged him with a call to the priesthood in 1944, Ed answered, “I will.” When people argued that a priest couldn’t play baseball for the Waterloo Buds, Fr. Ed said, “I will.” He quickly became the league ace, earning the nickname “The Pitching Priest.” Ed’s love of baseball and the St. Louis Browns was equalled only by his love for plants and flowers.
There were many “I wills” in Fr. Ed’s life, but the greatest, undoubtedly, occurred in 1964, when the challenge of finding a better way to educate young students gave birth to Gibault High School. When the school opened in 1967, Fr. Ed introduced students and parents to flexible modular scheduling, the Learning Center and innovative ways of empowering students to take responsibility for their education. Gibault is Fr. Ed’s legacy, the embodiment of what he thought learning should be and the great promise of what he believed every student could become.
Even as Fr. Ed lived his final hours, life had one more challenge for him. As he lay in his hospital bed, a nearby family suffered a sudden and tragic loss. Ed’s nurse came in to check on him, leaned close to his ear and whispered: “Since you’re so close to God right now, I thought I would ask you to pray for that family next door. They’re suffering so.” And surely Fr. Ed’s answer was “I will.”
Because Father Ed is already sharing life in God, the family requests no Eucharist memorials and that memorial gifts be given to the Edwin H. Hustedde Scholarship Fund to carry on Ed’s vision of educating young people.
What’s your fondest memory of Fr. Edwin?
What’s a lesson you learned from Fr. Edwin?
Share a story where Fr. Edwin's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Fr. Edwin you’ll never forget.
How did Fr. Edwin make you smile?