David "Huck" W. Vogt

CASSVILLE - David W. Vogt, known affectionately as Huck, passed away on Saturday, May 17, 2025, in Cassville, WI, at the age of 77. He was born on June 16, 1947, the son of Catherine (Hochhausen) Vogt.

He graduated from Cassville High School in 1966. After high school, Huck entered the workforce. He began his career in 1972 as a machinist and welder at the John Deere manufacturing plant in Dubuque, Iowa and retired from John Deere in 2006 at the age of 59. Known for his strong work ethic and quiet nature, he built many lasting friendships throughout his career.

Huck was passionate about the outdoors and spending his hard-earned time off with friends and family. He became an avid outdoorsman from a young age and then passed this passion on to his sons, creating lasting memories in the woods and on the water.

Huck was a quiet, generous soul—someone who would gladly give his time to anyone in need. He loved staying active and could often be found walking the riverside path or heading down Jack Oak Road with his beloved dogs, Winnie and Tatum. Throughout his life, he enjoyed swinging a golf club, playing softball, and bowling and was a longtime member of several local leagues that brought him joy and camaraderie for many years. Huck proudly served as a member of the Cassville Lions Club for 25 plus years—an expression of his commitment to service, rooted in both his faith and community. He was gifted a “lifetime membership.”

Thursday evenings were reserved for meeting up with close friends around Cassville to share beers, watch football, and engage in good conversation. He also treasured his annual trips to “Hunter’s Haven” in Webb Lake, WI, where he spent many falls hunting and summers fishing with family and friends.

God blessed Huck with two sons, Josh and Jordan Vogt—his greatest pride and joy. He raised them with quiet strength and unwavering devotion, teaching them the importance of family, friendship, and loyalty. Huck loved nothing more than cheering them on from the sidelines, faithfully attending every basketball and football game throughout their youth.

Sports remained a deep bond between them. Huck and his boys would regularly call to discuss every play, every season—analyzing the Packers, the Badgers, and the Brewers with a shared passion formed in childhood.

He also passed on to them his love for the simpler, enduring things: the companionship of pets, the joy of tending a vegetable garden, the love of the Mississippi River, and the importance of protecting natural habitats.

Becoming “Grandpa” was one of Huck’s greatest joys. He felt truly fortunate to spend recent winters in Colorado, going to every soccer and basketball game and school performances for his granddaughters. This spring, he treasured visiting the Grand Canyon at Easter with them for the first time—a memory etched in love and one he held close to his heart.

Huck is survived by his sons Josh (Blythe) Vogt of Littleton, CO, and Jordan (Sarah) Vogt of Riley, Kansas, and his three granddaughters Marlow, Vivian, and Adelaide Vogt. His siblings Karen (Gary) Mahr, Dick (Marlene) Vogt, Ken “Slim” Vogt, Larry (Deb) Vogt, and many nieces and nephews.

Huck was preceded in death by his mother, Catherine (Hochhausen) Vogt; his sister, Robin Balch, brother-in-law Andrew Balch, and nephew D.J. Heiligenthal.

A wake will be held on Thursday, May 29, 2025, at Martin Schwartz Funeral Home & Crematory in Cassville from 5:00–7:00 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, May 30, 2025, at St. Charles Catholic Church with Father Sudhakar Devarapu officiating, followed by a committal service at St. Charles Catholic Cemetery. Following the committal service, the family invites everyone to join them for food and fellowship at J&J's Sandbar in Cassville.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to the Cassville Lions Club to be given back to the community.

Eulogy

Good morning. On behalf of our family, thank you all for coming. My name is Blythe Vogt. I’m Josh’s wife, and my father-in-law, for almost 16 years, was David “Huck” Vogt.

It is an honor to stand here today and share a few memories of our father.

If you knew David, you knew him as Huck. Some might think like I first did, that this was because he spent his whole life within a stone’s throw of the great Mississippi River and its connection to the beloved story of Huckleberry Finn. However, when I asked him, he said his friends gave him the nickname in grade school after Huckleberry Hound, an Emmy Award-winning and wildly popular children’s TV show from the 1960s. Huckleberry Hound was one of Hanna-Barbera's most popular characters, and children from this era will recall a wide range of merchandise, including comics, toys, and cereal promotions that flooded their local grocery shelves.

In fact, the nickname “Huck” stuck so firmly --- that in a town full of very interesting nicknames, Josh and Jordan couldn’t earn a better one on their own --- and were known to their generations of friends as --- Huckster, Huck, Little Huck, Huck Two, or Huck Three.

If you read Wikipedia, it will tell you that Huckleberry Hound, also known as “Huck,” was a blue, anthropomorphic coonhound cartoon character recognized for his relaxed, sweet, and well-intentioned personality. And for his Southern drawl - a distinctive voice and accent that were a major part of his character. His adventures were slapstick, comical situations, often resulting in him being the "fall guy." Huckleberry Hound was generally seen as a kind and gentle soul despite his frequent mishaps.

The character was featured in various jobs and professions, including police officer, detective, bellman, and farmer, often employing a distinctively unique approach to solving problems. But it was Huck's off-key rendition of "Oh My Darling, Clementine" that became a signature element of his character.

Well, our Huck wasn’t blue all over, but he was cut from a blue-collared, hard-working family. Ours wasn’t from the South and certainly didn't speak with a Southern drawl, but Huckleberry Hound’s voice was reportedly inspired by Andy Griffith, which is interesting --- because our Huck would regularly tune into the Andy Griffith show reruns while visiting Colorado between short naps, walking the dog, and puttering around in the yard. And his sons recall that in their youth, Huck watched so many episodes of Andy Griffith Show that their family parakeet could actually tweet along with the whistling tune at the beginning of each show.

Clearly, both characters were our Huck’s favorite, and I can see why --- as there are plenty of notable similarities between the characters and my father-in-law. And why, ultimately, I believe how we ALL came to know and love him as “Huck.”

Our Huck was part and parcel to his fair share of frequent mishaps or for being the “fall guy”

When Josh was 9 or 10, he says they went out rabbit hunting together, and his dad said, “It’s time you learn to shoot this Eastern Arms Side by Side 12 gauge. He handed Josh the gun while they were up on a brush pile and said, 'Get your footing and get ready to shoot.' While all Josh was thinking was, this thing is going to knock me on my --- you know what? Well, a rabbit comes out, and Josh pulls the trigger and, sure enough, ends up flying off the brush pile and landing on his tender backside. All the while, Huck was chuckling, and Josh said he thought, “Gee, thanks, Dad. That was a doozy; I may never shoot that gun again. And my shoulder may not work properly again either.”

Josh and Jordan, along with numerous family and friends, all fished with Huck. As boys, they can remember him having a couple of good, humorous fishing quotes.

They would ask their Dad, “Can we go fishing tomorrow?” and his response would always be, “Sure, let’s go drown some worms.” And if the fish weren’t biting, Huck would go on to say, “Oh well, it’s more exciting to watch worms wrestle anyway.”

And at least once, in pure comic relief, we heard Huck almost topple right out of a fishing boat at Webb Lake. Thankfully, his cousin, Mike Kane, caught him as he was falling over the side, and they had a good laugh together afterward.

Like Huckleberry Hound, our Huck couldn’t hold a tune. We know this because, while attending church and standing for the national anthem at many sporting events, he would stand but then mouth or breathe the words ever so softly, so as not to be caught off-beat or out of tune.

And like Huckleberry Hound, our Huck was a problem solver and a hard worker.

Huck taught his sons that hard work goes a long way, no matter what you are doing. If you work hard, you can always make something of yourself.

Huck was skilled with his hands and helped us with numerous “honey-do” projects throughout our years of marriage. One that is particularly sentimental for Josh and me, was during the pandemic when we all had too much time on our hands, stuck at home.

I had the grand idea of creating a built-in shelving unit, and as luck would have it, I also had access to three willing laborers to help me execute. I remember Huck was meticulous in helping us to shim and level the cabinet bases for the entertainment center. And when I told him it looked easy enough based on my research and watching YouTube videos for my inspiration, I’m sure he, like my husband and my own Dad, rolled his eyes before rolling up his sleeves.

Like the cartoon character, our Huck was a kind and gentle soul.

He showed his love to his sons and our families through the gift of giving. He was a terrific grandpa and deeply enjoyed spending time with his granddaughters. I like to think they kept him young at heart. He used to say to them, “If I knew I would live this long, I would’ve taken better care of myself when I was younger.”

In reviewing the contents of his home, you wouldn’t be surprised to know that he kept every sentimental newspaper clipping, everyone’s wedding photos, every birthday and Father’s Day card given, and every meaningful photo taken has a place on the wall or the refrigerator.

But he was also “slapstick” funny…

Jordan recalled that when they went golfing in Prairie --- Huck’s cargo shorts were falling from his waist, as they so often did, and during his warmup swing, Jordan commented to him, “Dad, your crack is showing.” Instead of hiking up his shorts as expected, he proceeded to pull them down further and then drove the ball properly off the tee – all the while --- with a big ole grin.

You have all shared so many memories of Huck with us --- some heartwarming, many of them funny, but all of them cherished.

Here are a few I jotted down:

Softball games and going to Buena, IA by boat to play
Fishing, Ice Fishing and so many Hunting trips
3 Incredible trips to Canada for Fishing and Bear Hunting
So many Pheasant hunting trips to SD and very special ones in KS and CO
Triple B Deer Camp and finding the Hogback
And Hunter’s Haven Deer Camp
Camping on the Sandbars
State Bowling
Lion’s Club Meetings and Events
Running the chains for the high school football games
Brewer Bus trips
Golfing and grilling in Fillmore
Packer’s games
Houseboat Trips
Old Boys Thursday Night Club at the Town Pump
And, of course, seeing the ocean, the Grand Canyon, and taking our first Helicopter Ride together (oh, the smile on his face was priceless)

He was -- our David, Dave, Huckleberry, or just Huck.

He was our friend, our brother, our Dad, and our Grandpa.

Every name spoken was special, and all were synonymous with a truly wonderful man.

We Love You, Huck!!!