Fern B. Houston, 99, of Red Wing, Minnesota, died Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2015, at the Seminary Home in Red Wing where she had been a resident since 2013.

The oldest of three children, Fern was born on Feb. 17, 1916, in Lawton, North Dakota, to Bert and Lillian (Peterson) Davison. The early and middle segments of her childhood were spent moving around to various places, such as Scobey, Montana, and Chicago, Illinois, where she lived for several years. For the most part, Fern grew up in her paternal grandparents’ household on the Davison family farm situated in Freeborn County, Minnesota, near Glenville, Minnesota. She attended Austin High School and graduated in 1934.

Fern married Robert Hoium in 1935. They resided in Albert Lea, Minnesota, and had two sons, Marland (born in 1940) and Dale (born in 1945). They subsequently divorced in 1948.

Over the following eight years, Fern, Marland, and Dale continued to live in Albert Lea where she eventually married Arthur E. Houston on Aug. 9, 1956. They had met at a church camp meeting conducted the previous year in Kansas City, Missouri.

Fern and the boys then moved to the Austin, Minnesota, area, where Art held a series of jobs. By the late autumn of 1964, Art was suffering from some breathing problems. This unfortunate turn of events prompted Art and Fern to move to Colorado in the summer of 1965. They were hopeful that the drier climate there would help relieve his breathing difficulties.

Over the next 36 years (1965-2001), they lived first in Longmont and then in Boulder. Fern worked for a few years for Ball Brothers Mfg. in Broomfield, Colorado, and then worked at Golden West Retirement Complex when they moved to Boulder.

Fern enjoyed camping and hiking in the Rockies. She climbed all the 14,000-foot mountains in Colorado. Fern and Art also went on many bus tours throughout the continental U.S.A. plus Alaska and some of the Canadian provinces. They relocated to Red Wing in 2001. Fern was a member of the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Red Wing.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband Arthur; son Marland; brother Burton J. (Bub) Davison; sister-in-law Johanna (Jo) Davison; sister Edith Kiel of Harvey, Illinois; and step brother Rolland Dodge.

Fern is survived by her son Dale Hoium, Red Wing, Minnesota; daughters-in-law: Nancy Hoium, Austin, Minnesota, and Judith Hoium, Loveland, Colorado; step-son Jeff Houston, Austin, Minnesota; granddaughters: Valery Hoium, Hager City, Wisconsin, and Karen (Charles) Hyde, Ontario, California; great-grandchildren: Madison, Samantha and Spencer Hoium Schultz, Hager City, Wisconsin, and Brenson, Camden, and Dawson Hyde, Ontario, California; nephew Gary Jay (Karen) Davison, Glenville, Minnesota; grandniece Shanna Davison, Austin, Minnesota.

A graveside service will be held at 2:45 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 4, 2015, at Oakwood Cemetery in Austin with Pastor Donald Mikitta officiating. Friends may greet the family at Clasen-Jordan Mortuary on Friday from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.