Tucker, John B. 1921-2002

TUCKER, VAN VEEN, DE JOODE

Posted By: volunteer (email)
Date: 8/7/2005 at 15:52:58

PELLA - John B. "J.B." Tucker, 80, of Pella, died Saturday, Aug. 10, at Pella Regional Health Center. His funeral service will be 10:30 a.m. Wednesday in the chapel of Van Dyk-Duven Funeral Home in Pella, the Rev. John McNabb officiating. Burial: Graceland Cemetery near Pella, with military honors by American Legion Post No. 89 of Pella. Memorials: Hospice of Pella or First Baptist Church in Pella. Visiting hours continue today at the funeral home, with family present 6:30-8 p.m. today; a masonic service will be conducted 7:30 p.m. today at the funeral home.

John Boyd Tucker was born Oct. 14, 1921, in Knoxville to Conroy and Nellie Van Veen Tucker. J.B. graduated from Knoxville High School in 1939.

In October 1940, he enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps. He spent three years as a bombardier in the South Pacific, mainly New Guinea, during World War II. He was honorably discharged as a staff sergeant on July 20, 1945, and worked in construction in Brecksville, Ohio, until that fall. He then enrolled at the University of Wyoming; after attending a year of college he moved to Pella and attended Central College while working at the West End Cafe.

He married Hattie De Joode on Oct. 3, 1948, in Lancaster, Mo. They leased the West End Cafe until March 1951. J.B. then worked for Pella Rural Electric Cooperative as a linesman, and attended trade school studying accounting. He was office manager at R.E.C. from 1965-1977.

On April 1, 1983, he retired. On Feb. 19, 1985, Hattie died. J.B. continued living in Pella. He was a member of First Baptist Church, where he had been Sunday school superintendent for 10 years. He had coached Little League baseball and for 15 years was a licensed umpire for softball and slow-pitch. He and Hattie, along with Ken De Wild, started Pella Gun Club in the 1960s; they sold it to the Red Rock Izaak Walton League in 1985. J.B. enjoyed building guns, playing cribbage and cards.

He was a member of Pella Masonic Lodge No. 55, A.F. & A.M., and Van Veen-Van Hemert American Legion Post No. 89, Pella.

He is survived by a daughter and son-in-law: Karen M. and John M. De Haan, and a son and daughter-in-law: Alan R. and Karen Tucker, all of Pella; two grandchildren: Billie Jo Tucker and Tiffany Kelderhouse-Tucker; four step-grandchildren; two great-grandchildren: Tyler Tucker and Michael Van Wardhuizen; and a brother and sister-in-law: Sephus and Alice Tucker of Parma Heights, Ohio.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Hattie; his parents; and a brother, Robert Tucker.

The Oskaloosa Herald, August 18, 2002