Roy C. Huebner

Roy C. Huebner, 81, of New Philadelphia, and a long-time resident of Gnadenhutten, died Wednesday, April 7, 2010, in Union Hospital, Dover, following a brief illness.

Born September 22, 1928, in Gnadenhutten, he was a son of the late Harry M. and Gertrude A. Pfeiffer Huebner. Roy graduated from Gnadenhutten High School in 1947, and went on to serve honorably in the United States Army during the Korean War. On October 15, 1950, he married the former Marjorie C. Guedel. The couple reared three children and spent fifty-seven years together before Marjorie's death on December 1, 2007.

Roy was employed by Alsco Anaconda in Gnadenhutten for over thirty-two years, retiring in 1983 as a millwright. He was a faithful member of the John Heckewelder Memorial Moravian Church in Gnadenhutten, where he served on the Board of Elders, Board of Trustees, and as a Diener. Additionally, Roy served as a firefighter for the Gnadenhutten-Clay Twp. Volunteer Fire Dept., and as a Trustee for Clay Twp. He was a member of the former American Legion post at Gnadenhutten.

Roy possessed truly amazing capabilities when it came to working with wood. He created numerous household and intricate decorative items, many of which he gave away to family and friends. He received three Best of Show awards as well as a Blue Ribbon for work he exhibited at the Tuscarawas County Fair. Roy also created three-dimensional shadow boxes showing Tuscarawas County landmarks, such as the courthouse and the Jeremiah E. Reeves home; these were proudly displayed at the Tuscarawas County Convention and Visitors Bureau. His favorite subjects, though, were carousel horses, of which he made many carvings, large and small, and had the great pleasure of working on the restoration of horses on the Tuscora Park carousel.

Another of Roy's past-times was gardening. He maintained a garden when he lived at his former home in Gnadenhutten and a garden and a greenhouse at his present home in New Philadelphia. Roy loved to watch things grow, and his tomato plants were now just about a foot tall. He had recently received his flowers for the season.

Roy was a loving husband, father and grandfather, who enjoyed time spent with his family and his friends.

Survivors include two daughters, Shirley (Gary) Thornton of Gnadenhutten, and Joyce (Jeff) Belden of Lima; a son, Thomas (Denise) Huebner of New Philadelphia; eight grandchildren, Tony (Kristi) Huebner, Don (Misty) Huebner, Misti (Brian) Flinck, Brian (Shelly) Thornton, Jason (Sabrina) Thornton, Jen (Kris) Stratton, Todd (Jennifer) Belden and Doug Belden; twenty-one great-grandchildren; a brother, Gene Huebner of Gnadenhutten; two sisters, Dorothy Reichman of Greensburg, and Ruth Eggan of New Philadelphia; several nieces and nephews; and his beloved cat, Lucky.

A funeral service will be held Saturday, April 10, at 10:30 a.m. in the Toland-Herzig Funeral Home & Crematory, 803 N. Wooster Ave, Dover, with Rev. Darrell Johnson officiating. Burial will be in Ridgecrest Memory Gardens, Dover, where military rites will be conducted by the New Philadelphia post of the V.F.W. Following the committal, there will be a luncheon in the John Heckewelder Church in Gnadenhutten. Family and friends are invited to call at the funeral home on Friday, April 9, 5 8 p.m. To sign an online guestbook and share a fond memory of Roy, please visit the funeral home's Web site and click on Obituaries.

The family suggests that contributions in Roy's memory be made to the John Heckewelder Memorial Moravian Church, 145 South Walnut St., Gnadenhutten, Ohio 44629.

The family wishes to send special thanks to all of Roy's neighbors and to his nurses and other caregivers at Union Hospital for their friendship, care and concern - THANK YOU.

Toland-Herzig, Dover
330-343-6132
www.tolandherzig.com