Willard Tracy, age 77 of Sibley, IA, formerly of Ocheydan, IA died Thursday, February 27, 2014 at Sibley Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Sibley, IA.
Funeral service will be 10:30 a.m. Monday, March 3, 2014 at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Sibley, with Reverend Barb Kopperud officiating. Burial will follow the lunch in the Ocheyedan Township Cemetery in Ocheyedan, IA.
Visitation will be Sunday, March 2nd from 4-7 p.m., with the family present from 5-7 p.m. at the Jurrens Funeral Home in Sibley.
For a complete obituary and online registry please visit: www.jurrensfuneralhome.com
Willard Leroy Tracy was born on April 15, 1936, the son of Eugene and Gertrude (Eveland) Tracy. He grew up in Ocheyedan, Iowa and attended school there. Willie enlisted in the U.S. Army and did his basic training in Fort Leonard Wood, MO. He served in England, France and Germany and was honorably discharged with the rank of Staff Sergeant on May 3, 1957. On May 26, 1957, Willie was united in marriage to Donna Mae Grubaugh at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Sibley, IA. The couple lived in New Jersey for three months, Worthington, MN for two years, Sibley until 1977, Ocheyedan until 1995, and then Sioux Falls until retirement and moving back to Sibley in 2002. Willie worked in a service station on the New Jersey Turnpike, Nelson Garage in Worthington, MN, Kass Philip 66, as a self-employed mechanic, Sibley Steel Buildings, and then owned Sibley Agri Builders. Willie finished his working years at Murray Property Managements in Sioux Falls, SD where he and Donna managed an apartment complex. He was a past member of the Wood-Miller American Legion Post 326 of Ocheyedan and Charter member of the Osceola Color Guard. He also served as the Justice of the Peace in Osceola County for numerous years. Willie loved to garden, enjoyed woodworking and watching TV. He always looked forward to riding around town with his good friend Andy Mouw and having coffee with his brother-in-law, Jerry Ferguson.
Willie is survived by his four children: Duane (Lynette) Tracy of Ocheyedan, Gary (Julie) Tracy of Ocheyedan, Donald (Sharon) Tracy of Eagan, MN and Lori (Lavern) Metz of Yankton, SD; eleven grandchildren: Daniel (Samantha) Tracy, Seth Tracy, Greg (Tami) Tracy, Jill (Dusty) Handley, Jodi Tracy, Kyle Tracy, Ethan Tracy, Michael Tracy, Justin (Richie) DePaolis-Metz, Staci (Andrew) Miller and Jason Metz; four great-grandchildren: Lindy Tracy, Kash and Mia Handley and Quintin Tracy; five siblings: John Tracy of Sibley, IA, Dorthea Morgan of Concord, CA, Eugene Tracy of Round Lake, MN, Clinton Tracy of Worthington, MN and Dick (Janice) Tracy Rothsay, MN; sisters-in-law Shirley Thiesen and Joyce Ferguson; and many nieces, nephews and other extended family.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Donna Mae Tracy in 2007; his parents, Eugene and Gertrude Tracy; father and mother-in-law, George “Bud” and Lorraine Grubaugh; and many brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law.
