Howard Alfred Hietala OBITUARY
Brocket, North Dakota – Corona, California
With life fully lived with many people in many places in "the dashes".
***"Howard was born in Brocket, North Dakota to Alfred Arthur and Mabel Irene Hanson Hietala, first son and second of five children. He was baptized by Rev. George Loftness at St. Olaf Lutheran Church (Devil's Lake) December 1, 1933 with sponsors Mr. & Mrs. August Hietala (?paternal grandparents) and then confirmed May 28, 1950 at Vaage Lutheran Church by Rev. Raymond L. Breen.
Howard was one of many North Dakota youths who got to start farming early in his life as WWII broke out when he was 8. His Dad shortened the seats on some of the farm equipment so he could make his feet reach and so he would hang on to the seat at times and try to drive four horses pulling a disk or harrow over the bumpy fields. There were also harvest times to help and so often it meant missing a lot of school, but he did manage to graduate from Brocket High School in 1951!
Next came three years of working road construction and then a year of working on a large grain/cattle/sheep farm near Langdon, ND. After sitting up nights in a shed in 30 below zero weather he decided he had enough of that and joined the Navy. What a difference in temperature after leaving Fargo with 40 below and arriving in San Diego, CA with rain and probably in the 60-degree range. After bootcamp and then training in radar and computers for gun control he was stationed on board the USS Trathen, DD530 for 40 months before his discharge. While in training he met Dixie Ann Petersen at a Luther League outing held at La Jolla Beach in June of 1956 and they were married on Sept 30, 1956 at Clairemont Lutheran Church (CA) by Rev. Clifford Larson. They moved to Long Beach, CA where his ship was stationed in December 1956.
Next came about two and a half years of working for Autonetic, doing research and development work on the Minuteman I missiles. While doing that, he helped train the people for Newark Air Force Station who would be maintaining the guidance systems for the missiles and was offered a job with them. So in Sept. 1962, they packed up and moved to Ohio where they spent the next 23 years. They had a new home built for them about 4 miles north of town and when 3 bedrooms weren't enough, added on another one with a bath and partial basement."
Dad and Mom would enjoy breakfast out, or at least a quieter time together, after dropping their four children off for Sunday School at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Newark, before returning for the morning service. Many miles were traveled in assorted Ford vehicles named Betsy and a VW bus and bug as they went to work, transported the children to many activities, and enjoyed time with friends including meals with Ron and Hanne Siebert. Dad took university courses at Franklin University in Columbus on a part-time basis and when he and Mom moved to Redlands they attended adult geology courses and had fun "picking" rocks and seeing different geological formations.
***"In 1985 Howard was offered a job with the Ballistic Missile Office (BMO) at Norton Air Force Base, CA, so it was back to warm temperatures. There he worked as a liaison office between BMO, Newark AFS and various contractors. Then he worked as a logistics manager and for the last two years with a computer software office on the REACT program. The base closed in 1995 and so in October, after 37 1/2 years of federal service he retired and then spent his time trying to keep up with all the things there were to do and wondering how he ever had time to work."
After retirement from federal service, Dad and Mom remained active, visiting the far-flung family with their last car trip around the USA in 2002, tending and renovating their home and gardens in Redlands, CA, as members of First Lutheran Church down the street with much volunteer time that included the sound system and the rose gardens, building homes with Habitat for Humanity, square dancing, hosting international exchange students, creating wooden works of art, and stirring apple butter.
The Press-Enterprise published an "Inland Portrait" January 15, 2001, highlighting Howard's volunteer building work for Habitat for Humanity. He had recently been named the San Bernardino Chapter's Volunteer of the Year, had put in 1,400 hours the previous year, and was quoted saying "You see the families when they get their home, and it just makes you feel good."
After Dixie Ann's death in 2004, Howard eventually found his way back to square dancing, though without his beloved partner of 48 years. It was in the dance hall he met "Jo" who had also been widowed and they married – twice! The December 2005 commitment was followed by a wedding ceremony at the First Lutheran Church in Redlands on March 3, 2007. Their home was then primarily in Corona with different views for Dad including that of overlooking a golf course. The family circle expanded as Dad and Jo participated in her children and grandchildren's lives and as younger generations created the next. The pandemic kept them closer to home and then the last few years found health challenges overtaking their usual ways of exploring the world and enjoying life at home and with friends and family. As the need arose, Dad moved into an apartment with their cat "Trouble" where there was less strain on him as others tended to cooking and cleaning. When asked how he was doing, his response would vary but was often along the lines of "getting old isn't for wimps" and "I'm still above ground", still displaying his wit and humour. Howard and his friend across the hall, Richard, developed non-verbal signals for communicating in the often loud dining room including "thumbs up" which was then taught to his almost 3 year-old grandson when he came to visit Great-grandpa this past spring.
Howard was predeceased by his parents, first wife Dixie Ann Hietala on Valentine's Day 2004, second wife Josephine "Jo" Strizzi on July 13, 2023, older sister Inez Anita Joyce Kalliokoski Sherve, younger brother Rodney Wayne Hietala (as an infant of an enlarged heart), his siblings-in-law Robert Kalliokoski, Kermit Sherve, Lewis Hursman, Kay and Donald Petersen, Ramona Petersen, nephew Michael Kalliokoski, and other extended family members and friends.
Dad is survived by his extended family including: younger sister Mavis Hursman and her children Debra (Richard) Vivatson, Douglas, Dawn (Steve) Faught; along with their children and grandchildren; by his younger brother Morris Hietala (Marion) and their children Susan (Dwight) Nelsen, Sarah Duphorn, Barbara (Scott) Riley; along with their children and grandchildren; by his Kalliokoski nephews Ronald (Marsha), Steven (Sylvia), Larry (Eve), Bruce (Patti); and their children and grandchildren; niece Lisa Petersen Tarpley and nephew Donald Petersen. Dad's children survive him – Lynn (Robert) Wickberg – Vermont, Diane (Victor) Niemi – Florida, Wayne (Natalie) – Ohio, Gregory (Laura) – California, former son-in-law Martin Gardner. Howard is survived by ten grandchildren: Jason Gardner (Kristen Lyons), JB Niemi, Christopher Niemi, Timothy Wickberg, Laurel (Wickberg) (Simon) Xu, Brandi (Hietala) (Alec) Richardson, Kristyn Hietala, Erik Hietala, Ashlan Hietala, and Brody Hietala, and four great-grandchildren, ages 4 years to 3 months, have joined the family tree, much to Dad's delight: Maverick, Julian, and Artemis Richardson, and Oliver Xu.
Howard is also survived by "Jo's" children Dianne (Andy) Remp, Jeff (Sarah) Strizzi, Richard Strizzi, and her grandchildren Delaney and Anneka Remp, Shannon Strizzi Lee, Joshua, Isabella and Olivia Strizzi; was predeceased by Jo's daughter-in-law Shelli Rycraft-Strizzi.
Other survivors include Dad's cat "Trouble" and friends and neighbors from the different places called home and activities like square dancing. The family is grateful to the staff at Dad's home of the last two years at Estancia Del Sol.
Howard's funeral service will be November 12, 2024, 11:00 am, Riverside National Cemetery (California). A reception will follow at Graziano's in Corona, 12:15 – 3:30pm.
Memorial donations may be made to Habitat for Humanity San Bernardino Area, 1396 Industrial Park Avenue, Redlands, CA 92374.
***Much of Dad's early history is quoted/taken from family history books he and Mom created and completed in the late 1990's.
