Gale Malcolm Rucker

Gale Rucker, of Montevideo, died on Saturday, October 11, 2003 at the Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, MN at the age of 83.

Funeral services will be conducted on Wednesday, October 15, 2003 at 1:30 PM at the United Methodist Church in Montevideo with Chaplain Delbert Kuehl officiating.  Interment will be in the Morton Municipal Cemetery.

Visitation will be Tuesday afternoon and evening and with the family from 6:30 - 8 PM at the Anderson Funeral Home in Montevideo.

Gale Malcolm Rucker was born on October 19, 1919 in Morgan, MN to John and Ruth (Schwerzler) Rucker.  He attended school in Morgan and played on the high school basketball team.  Following his graduation in 1938, he went to work for Northern States Power in Morgan.  After the outbreak of WW II, he entered the US Army and was assigned to the Field Artillery.  He was later assigned to the Army Air Force and trained as an aerial gunner on the B-24 bomber.  Following his training in the states, he was transferred to England by ship.  Bing Crosby was on the ship and provided entertainment en route across the Atlantic.  Upon arriving in England he was assigned to the Eighth Air Force, Second Air Division, 491st Bomb Group, flying 18 combat missions over Germany as an armorer gunner on a B-24 bomber.  He was awarded the air medal with 2 oak leaf clusters for valor in air combat.  After V.E. day he was transferred back to the states to begin crew training on the B-29 bomber and eventual reassignment to the far east for the continuing war with Japan.  Shortly before his discharge, he was united in marriage to his high school sweetheart, Genevieve Simon of Morton, MN.  They returned to Morgan, where Gale resumed his work with NSP.  In 1952 he was transferred to Montevideo, where he worked with NSP until his retirement in 1983.  During his over 40 year career with NSP he survived 2 major electrocution incidents on high voltage lines.  During his retirement years he enjoyed  hunting, fishing, his ultra-light airplane (which he flew into his late 70's), working on home projects, caring for his pet cats and peacocks and spending time in the woods cutting firewood.  He spent considerable time helping his two sons working on many home projects.  He was a devoted husband and father, living and demonstrating the values that make the country he fought for so great.

He is survived by two sons: Stephen Rucker and Randy Rucker and his wife Julie, both of Montevideo; and two grandsons, Ken and John Rucker.