Duane Darwin Enerson, 85, of the Heritage House of Lyle, Minnesota died Monday morning, Jan. 3, 2011, at the Austin Medical Center.

He was born Dec. 7, 1925, on a farm near Lyle, Minnesota, the son of Theodore and Mable (Nelson) Enerson. Duane attended and graduated from Lyle High School in 1943. Duane was an athlete in high school and had an opportunity to play semi-pro baseball until an injury sidelined him. After graduation, he entered the United States Army serving in the Pacific from 1944 to 1946. On June 1, 1947, he was united in marriage to Charlene Faye “Char” Huff at Lyle, Minnesota. The couple lived and farmed in the Rose Creek and Lyle area as well as Duane working at Geo A. Hormel Company. In 1977, they purchased the White Pines Resort in Bemidji, Minnesota, which they operated until their retirement in 1985. In 1997, they moved back to Austin, Minnesota. Char died on April 16, 2002. Duane was a member of Six Mile Grove Lutheran Church, near Lyle, Minnesota, the Moose Club in Austin and Bemidji and the American Legion in Austin and Bemidji. He also enjoyed hunting, fishing and playing horseshoes.

Survivors include three children, Sherry (Neal) Kenyon of Lyle; Kathy (Dale) Whalen of Rochester and Kevin (Jolene) Enerson of Bemidji; eight grandchildren, Jason Whalen, Michael Enerson, Tracie Sauer, Tammy Truckenmiller, Jessica Whalen, Tara Walter, Kalie Enerson and Amy Mulvihill; twelve great-grandchildren, Madison, Kendal, Jakob, Courtney, Brooke, Cole, Raesa, McKenna, Cam, Andrew, Matthew and Kaden; sister, Lois Prihoda of Albert Lea; brothers and sisters-in-law, Iona Huff of Lynnville, Iowa, Ward (Joan) Huff of Caledonia, Oscar (Carol) Huff of Austin and Shirley Perham of Byron. He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Char on April 16, 2002, and brothers-in-law, Floyd Prihoda, Wendell Huff and Roger Huff.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 6, 2011, at Six Mile Grove Lutheran Church with Rev. Lydia Mittag officiating. Interment will follow the service at Six Mile Grove Lutheran Cemetery, rural Lyle, Minnesota with military honors by the Lyle American Legion Post 105. Visitation will be held from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday Jan. 5, 2011 at the Worlein Funeral Home in Austin and one hour prior to the service at the church. Condolences may be expressed to the family online at www.worlein.com.