Posted: 7/27/05
Parade marshal Fred Huhn a long-time Hoedown volunteer
By Jane Palen
Managing Editor
He may be a transplant to Houston, but Fred Huhn and his wife Marilyn put down roots and raised their family there. They have been active in the community and faithful volunteers at Hoedown since the very beginning. He has been chairman of Hoedown for about 15 years. This year, after helping with the parade for years, Fred was chosen as Parade Marshal.
ìI was always an instigator in the past,î said Huhn, who had a hand in selecting the previous parade marshals. This year when the parade marshal was discussed, Marlene Schultz brought up Fredís name, and he was honored to accept the position.
ìFred has dedicated himself to Hoedown,î said Schultz. ìEven when he was working. Now that heís retired, he does even more. Heís a good influence on the volunteers. We have a board of nine people, but without the volunteers, it would never happen.î
Huhn agrees that the Hoedown owes its success to volunteers. ìWhat really makes a community is when people volunteer and pitch in, young and old,î said Huhn.
It also helps to have all the events within a few blocks. The committee sets a limit on food vendors, and no new ones get in unless someone gets out. Each group has its traditions. The Hoedown committee sells brats and sno-cones, and the Boy Scouts have hotdogs, root beer floats and a chicken que. The Scouts sell 1400 to 1500 chicken halves a year, and there are a number of commercial vendors as well, so no one leaves Hoedown hungry.
Huhn spent 38 years in the banking industry; the last 15 years of his career were spent at the Rushford State Bank. He said he has always liked a challenge, and thatís why he never shied away from civic participation. He served on the Houston city council and rode out some difficult years on the school board. He is chairman of the Houston Housing Authority, which he helped establish. All his activities give him the opportunity to interact with people on a daily basis, something he missed when he retired from banking.
The Huhns also have the opportunity to interact with people through their business, Addieís Attic, a bed and breakfast. The historic 1903 home overlooks the city park in Houston. Since 1991, it has been the Huhnís home as well as their business. There are four rooms available, although during Hoedown the guests will be family. The Huhns have two daughters, Heidi Thompson and Jennifer Tripp, a son Jon , and seven grandchildren.
ìWe need the big house when they all come home,î said Huhn.
Parade has more
than 100 units
Planning for the Hoedown parade begins in March when invitations are sent. In July, the parade registrants get their numbers. There are usually more than 100 units in the parade, sometimes up to 120, depending on how many show up at the last minute. It takes two to three hours to line up the units. It begins at noon on Sunday, July 31. Bill and Dorothy Hoskins are chairing the parade committee.
Caledonia Argus
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