Vernon Buck

Vernon Buck, age 93, of Grants Pass, died Thursday, December 26, 2013 at Three Rivers Medical Center.

A funeral service will be at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, January 4, 2014 at First Christian Church with Pastor Wes Winn officiating. Committal will follow at Hawthorne Memorial Gardens. Hull & Hull Funeral Directors are in charge of arrangements.

Contributions may be made to First Christian Church Youth Ministry, 305 SW H Street, Grants Pass, Oregon 97526.

He was born January 29, 1920 in Black Springs, Arkansas to William David and Lester Ann Ellen (Warren) Buck. He grew up in Black Springs. As a child, he ran the grist mill at his father’s blacksmith shop. As a young man, he logged with mules and a wagon, hauling pulp wood to the paper mill. He also worked in the Civilian Conservation Corps. On December 5, 1942 he joined the United States Army and was discharged January 29, 1946. He achieved the rank of Sergeant in the Infantry. During his tour of duty, he was a munitions truck driver and fought in some of history’s most notable battles; including The Battle of the Ardennes Forest (Battle of the Bulge) Rhineland (the notorious tank skirmishes again Rommel (The desert fox) and finally Central Europe. He received expert and combat infantryman’s badges.

After the war, he moved to North Plains, Oregon to join his parents, brother, and sister. On June 28, 1947 in Springfield, Oregon he married Edna Marie Estelle Johnson, who survives. She is also from Arkansas. When his parents moved back to Arkansas, Vernon and Estelle moved back there for a short time before moving to Winston, Oregon. Their oldest daughter was born while in Arkansas and their two sons and youngest daughter were born in Roseburg.

In 1957, they moved to Grants Pass where Vernon began driving a log truck for Ben Wamp Logging. He continued working there for about thirteen years. He then worked at Murphy Creek Lumber as the loader operator until the late 80s, when he retired. In retirement, he drove a truck hauling pumice to Cascade Block for Ben Wamp Logging until he was about 80.

Vernon enjoyed spending time with his family and sharing stories of his childhood and logging experiences. He was musically talented and enjoyed playing his favorite song on the harmonica, “Little Red Wings.”

In addition to his wife, survivors include two daughters, Verna Streeter and Vivian Strahan, and two sons, Sammie and David Wayne Buck all of Grants Pass; four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

His brother, Orville Buck, and his sister, Evelyn Sheffield, died before him.