HOUSE, Gerald R., age 79

Died: Saturday, September 10th, 2011

Visitation: one hour prior to service at church

Funeral Service: 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, September 14, 2011 at Hope Lutheran Church (corner of Starr Ave and Eddy Lane) with Reverend Randy Olson officiating

Interment: Lutheran Cemetery, Eau Claire, Wisconsin with VFW Post 305 providing military honors

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the Hope Lutheran Church building fund

Gerald R. House, age 79, passed away on Saturday, September 10, 2011 at Sacred Heart Hospital in Eau Claire surrounded by his family.

Gerald was born on May 3, 1932 to the Harold and Angie (Johnson) House in Eau Claire. In 1951, he graduated from Eau Claire High School. On February 16, 1952 he was united in marriage to Elizabeth Hillestad at Hope Lutheran Church. He proudly served our country during the Korean Conflict with the 19th Military Police, Camp Carson, CO.

After his discharge, he started a long career in sales. Beginning with Peters Meats in Eau Claire and Mutual Service Insurance. He then joined the McCormick/Schilling Company as a sales rep in the Eau Claire area. He advanced to the Minneapolis region becoming District Manager and later the Sales Training Director for the Midwest. In April of 1969, he graduated from the University of Wisconsin National Society of Sales Training Executives.

When the zone sales manager position opened in North Dakota, he moved to Fargo. From there he moved to Omaha, Nebraska and ran the large zone until his retirement in 1978. Retirement was not to his liking and he spent fourteen years with Gateway Foods in LaCrosse as retail sales rep.

He enjoyed his summer place on Red Cedar Lake, along with many hunting and fishing trips to Alaska, Canada, North Dakota and Montana. Cooking was his hobby with wild meat and fish his specialty. He will miss his good golf buddies at Lake Hallie and Princeton Valley.

He is survived by his loving wife of 59 years, Liz; son, Mitchell (Luann) of Kentucky; daughters, Marcelle (Paul) Zurn of North Dakota, Cheryl Thomas of North Dakota, and Brenda Capozzi of Eau Claire; 10 grandchildren; 3 great grandchildren; brothers, Truman House, Auburt (Marie) House, James (Harriet) House all of Eau Claire, and Michael (Marge) House of Virginia Beach, VA; sisters, Viola Rowland of New Bern, NC, Greta (Jack) Myers and Velda (Lawrence) Lee both of Eau Claire; sisters-in-law, Betty House, Mavis House both of Eau Claire and Judy Kranz of Minneapolis; many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his son, Newell; brothers, Harold, Jr., Roger, Delton, and Lamar; sisters, Ione Kriese, Twila Phelan, and Verda House.