James H. Rucks, 66, Rice

November 21, 1948 - July 28, 2015

Funeral Services will be 10:30 a.m. Monday, August 3, 2015 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Sauk Rapids for James H. Rucks, age 66, who passed away Tuesday at the University of Minnesota Fairview Riverside Medical Center in Minneapolis. Rev. Paul Cloeter and Rev. Harvey Ehlers will officiate and burial will be at the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery near Little Falls. Visitation will be from 4-8 p.m. Sunday at Williams Dingmann Family Funeral Home in Sauk Rapids and one hour prior to the services Monday at the church. Trinity Lutheran prayers will be at 7:00 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home in Sauk Rapids.

James H. Rucks was born Nov. 21, 1948 in St. Cloud to Ernest & Jean (Clarke) Rucks. He was adopted and raised by Carl & Edith Rucks. Jim married Jackie Schnabel on March 25, 1977 at Redeemer Lutheran Church in St. Cloud. They have lived in the Rice area for the past 30 years. He served his country in the Army during the Vietnam War, and also served in the Army Reserves, Army Air Force Reserves and the Civil Air Patrol. Jim worked as a clerk for the U.S. Postal Service and also managed the Sherwood Manor Trailer Park. He was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church where he was an usher and a former lay minister. Jim enjoyed riding his Harley motorcycle, traveling, flower gardening, fishing and flying airplanes. Family was very important to him.

Survivors include his wife, Jackie of Rice; son and daughter, Nate (Stephanie) of Rice and Tammy (Dustin) Ripka of Rice; grandchildren, Noah, Jacob, Ian and Aaron; step mother, Esther Rucks of Cold Spring; brothers and sisters, Delroy (Jan) Rucks of Coon Rapids, Rosemary (Dave) Dutton of Coon Rapids, Lane (Pat) Maloney of Reston, VA, Marty Frady (Mike Hooser) of Bakersfield, CA, Cathy Combs (Rich Baxter) of Spokane Valley, WA and John (Patty) Combs of Spokane, WA; step-brothers, Calvin (Mary) Kirchhof of Minnetonka and Ernie (Jane) Kirchhof of Granite Falls, WA; and step-sister, Marcia (Craig) Kimmerle of Litchfield. Jim was preceded in death by his parents and adopted parents.

Memorials are preferred to The University of Minnesota Transplantation Patient Assistance. Please make check payable to U of M Foundation and in the memo field write James Rucks 20029. Checks can be mailed to: U of M Foundation, PO Box 860266, Minneapolis, MN 55486-0266