«

»

May
06

Custer, John Kenneth 92


John Custer passed away at his home in Howard Lake on May 5, 2019
Memorial Service: 11 AM Friday May 17, 2019 at Swanson-Peterson Funeral Home of Howard Lake
Visitation: begins 1 hr. prior to service at the Funeral Home
Interment Howard Lake Cemetery.

John Kenneth Custer was born in Howard Lake, Minnesota on Christmas Day of 1926, to James and Alice (Herbst) Custer. He grew up in a grocery store family. He graduated from Howard Lake High School, and soon after he was drafted into the United States Navy. He served in Pearl Harbor, where he developed a love for Hawaii.

After his military service, John attended and graduated from the Minnesota School of Business with a business degree. On July 5, 1953 he married Rachel Zimmerman. To this union a son, Mark, was born.

The Custers made their home in Howard Lake, where John was the owner of Custer’s Super Valu. John was very involved in the community: He was a member of the Howard Lake Fire Department for 29 years, and an active member of the Howard Lake Business Association. He served on the city council and was also the Mayor of Howard Lake. John was a lifetime member of the American Legion. He traveled the world with Rachel and wintered many years in Oahu. He loved his local Legion and playing pull tabs.

John passed away at his home in Howard Lake on May 5, 2019. He had reached the age of 92 years, 4 months, and 10 days.

Survivors include son Mark (Lori) Custer; granddaughters Christine (Chris) Fetterley, Amy (Michael) Noll, Beth (Andrei) Stolyarchuk, and Jill Custer; great-grandchildren Lily and Maddox Noll; and his large American Legion family.

John is preceded in death by his parents, James and Alice (Herbst) Custer and Alice (Dougherty) Custer, and his wife Rachel.