Gene H. Huston
Gene H. Huston (33°) is the oldest living Past Master (1960) of Petrolia
Lodge No. 363 and a member of the Venango Lodge of Perfection.
Accompanying this narrative is a 1960 picture of Gene, as well as the
Lodge 363 officers that year (Showing Gene Huston, center, Lloyd Fox,
second from right, also Dick Burgert).
Gene turned 94 this year. He resides in the Memory Support Unit at
Garden Spot Village, New Holland, PA (Lancaster County), a senior
residential care community. He has health issues, which include
profound dementia. That said, he is up and about most days and retains
selective memories of his time in Oil City. Gene enjoys visits from family
and friends. His granddaughter made him a great-grandfather in 2015.
Gene was born and grew up in Franklin, moving to Oil City around 1950.
In those times he was active in community service, including Kiwanis, the
Community Chest, and the Tuberculosis Society (a disease that claimed
his mother, when he was just eight years old, as well as a brother).
Gene is a combat decorated WWII US Navy vet. Gene served in the Battle
of the Atlantic, dodging torpedoes from German wolf packs. Then he
volunteered for hazardous duty in occupied China with Naval Intelligence,
where the unit’s duties included getting shot-down American pilots back
across the lines from Japanese-controlled territory.
After the war Gene went to college on the GI bill and became a Licensed
Professional Engineer in both PA and NJ. He worked in Electrical
Engineering for Penelec in Oil City and Johnstown, as well as General
Public Utilities in Parsippany and Reading, PA.
He sends congratulations, greetings, and warm best wishes to Petrolia
Lodge No. 363 in its 150th year.