DuWayne H. Huhn, age 92, of Cleveland WI, passed away on August 3, 2026.

Before spending his last few weeks at Shady Lane in Manitowoc, he lived at home in Cleveland.

DuWayne was born on December 13, 1933, to the late Arno and Eleanor (Schaetzer) Huhn. He attended Pleasant Hill Grade School. After the eighth grade, when his family needed him, he left school to work on their farm in Cleveland, where they raised a small herd of cows and grew potatoes on land originally homesteaded by his grandparents. He later attended Sheboygan Vocational School, but much of his education came through observation, experimentation, hard work, and doing.

DuWayne began working at the Kohler Company as a young man and remained there for 29 years, until he was about 50. Even while working full time, he never stopped creating. He was a creator and inventor at heart, a man who could envision something and then figure out how to build it. On the family farm, he had devised equipment and improvements that made demanding work a little easier. At age 30, he designed and built a home for his family, beginning with a single level built into a hillside. A few years later, he designed and added a second story, transforming it into a beautiful home. Over the years, his projects included three homes in Cleveland, a swimming pool built from scratch, and a camper fashioned after an old-fashioned covered wagon, complete with wooden bows supporting its canvas top.

Perhaps no project better reflected DuWayne's imagination than the cottage he designed and built in Door County during his years at Kohler. He cut cedar trees and had them milled into siding. He purchased discarded telephone poles and had them sawn into long timbers that supported a soaring vaulted ceiling over the entire structure. Mezzanines stood on each side of the cottage, connected by a wooden crosswalk above the living room. It was distinctive, ambitious, and entirely his own creation.

During the later years of his career at Kohler, DuWayne purchased an abandoned, run-down farm in the Village of Cleveland. He worked tirelessly to remove the buildings that were beyond saving and restore those that still had life in them. That property became the beginning of one of his greatest passions: Spruce Lawn Antiques. He and JoAnn began building the business together while he was still at Kohler. After leaving Kohler at about age 50, DuWayne devoted himself entirely to the antique business. He and JoAnn continued operating it well into their 80s, working side by side for more than 40 years to find, restore, and preserve antiques.

Antiques were far more than a job for DuWayne; they were his true passion. He loved the search and the thrill of finding something rare or unusual, and he could tell the story behind nearly every piece. He often spoke of the satisfaction he felt when he could surprise someone by offering far more for an item than they ever imagined it was worth. He believed in knowing the value of things and treating people fairly, and he had little patience for those who tried to take advantage of others by offering far less than an item was worth.

DuWayne married JoAnn C. Reinert on January 31st, 1954 at St. John-St. Peter Lutheran Church in Cleveland, Wisconsin, with Pastor Eldon Bode officiating. He was a lifelong member of the church and served two terms as an elder on the church council. Together, he and JoAnn built not only a business, but a life filled with shared work, travel, family, and stories.

When he was not working, DuWayne enjoyed yardwork, traveling, and playing cards. Yet those who knew him best will likely remember him most for his sense of humor. He loved making people laugh and took particular delight in the gullibility of family and friends, telling an unlikely story with such a straight face that it often took a moment before they realized they were being teased. The laughter that followed was part of the fun.

DuWayne was a builder, inventor, restorer, collector, and storyteller. Throughout his life, he saw possibility where others might have seen only a hillside, a stand of cedar trees, an abandoned farm, or a forgotten antique. He had a gift for turning ideas into something lasting and for making the people around him smile along the way.

DuWayne is survived by his children: Sandy (Wally) Hemb, Robert “RC” (Heather) Huhn, and Heidi (Bill) Hickey; his grandchildren: Scott Ziegert, Carl Hemb, Brian Hemb, Joel Kiefer, Travis Huhn, Erin Lilly, Morgan Lilly, Arianna Huhn, Mike Huhn, Tyler Gawlitta, Jordan Gawlitta, Harrison Stuckman, Gabby Gawlitta, Alex Garbe, Ashley Reinl-Gruenke, Dustin Garbe, Nicholas Garbe, Joshua Herr, Jolinda Burkard, and Jon Herr; 19 great-grandchildren; 8 great, great grandchildren, his sister, Bonnie Fritz; and many other relatives and friends.

In addition to his parents, DuWayne was preceded in death by his wife, JoAnn; his infant son, Wayne Arno Huhn; his daughter, Susan Herr; his son-in-law, Mickey Herr; his parents, his stepmother, Vida Bender Huhn; his brother, William "Billy" Huhn; his sister, Darlene Huhn; his sister-in-law, Rita Huhn; and his brother-in-law, Mark Fritz.

The family would like to extend special thanks to the staff members at Shady Lane and Sharon S. Richardson Community Hospice for the compassionate care they provided DuWayne.

A funeral service will be held at St. John-St. Peter Lutheran Church,1255 W Washington Avenue, in Cleveland, on Friday, August 7, 2026 at 3:00 p.m., with Pastor Steven Wall officiating. Relatives and friends may visit with the family from 1:00 p.m. until the time of service at the church.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. John-St. Peter Lutheran Church Children’s Ministry and the Cleveland Fire Department.