Gilbert Lacey

Retired Army Major Gilbert E. Lacey , Jr., 76, of Elk Horn, Iowa passed away on February 2, 2003, at the Shelby County Memorial Hospital in Harlan, Iowa. The son of Gilbert, Sr. and Esma Lacey, he was born on a farm near Cumberland, Iowa on March 19, 1926, and was baptized in the Methodist Episcopal Church at Cumberland. He attended grade school at Crossroads School, graduating from Cumberland High School in 1943, and continued his education at Iowa State and South Dakota State College. He enlisted in the Army September 6, 1943 and served in combat in Belgium and Germany with the 661st Tank Destroyer Battalion. After World War II he served in the National Guard and United States Army Reserve unit in Atlantic, Audubon and Council Bluffs and was retired as a Major March 19, 1986.His marriage to Jean L. Kemp was solemnized December 14, 1948 at the home of her parents, Richard and Audrey Kemp. They lived in Atlantic where he was employed by the National Guard until 1955, then in Council Bluffs until 1979 and Colesburg until 1984 when he retired as Secretary -- Treasure of Petersburg Feed Mill near Dyersville. They made their home in Elk Horn in 1986 and traveled extensively until she was crippled by a fall in the Halloween ice storm of 1991. Mrs. Lacy passed away October 10, 1992. He then married Peggy Borden December 6, 1997. They made their home in Elk Horn and together enjoyed family, friends and travel until she passed away after an extended illness in August 5, 2001.Major Lacey was a life member of the National Rifle Association and attended many of their conventions. He was a member of the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars post at Elk Horn, Reserve Officers Association, and the fighting 69th Division Association. He was affiliated with the Elk Horn Lutheran Church, and the Grove Lodge 492 AF & AM and Liberty Chapter 230 OES at Marne where he marked 50 years of membership in 2001. Dixieland and ragtime jazz were great interests and he was a member of the Bix Biederbecke Memorial Society and the Catfish Jazz Society.Surviving are a son, Reverend John G. Lacey and wife Lennea of Lincoln, Nebraska; daughters, Sherry (Mrs. Barry) Lacey -- Gallagher, Great Falls, Montana, and Shelley (Mrs. Michael) Schauwecker, Tempe, Arizona; eight grandchildren: Tanis (Mrs. Jamin) Casey and Noel Lacey, Janece and Jed Potter, Halley and Caitlin Gallagher, and Lacey and Paul Schauwecker; one great-grandchild: Asher Casey; two sisters: Marilee (Mrs. Clair) South of Cumberland, and Ruth (Mrs. David) Melena of Peoria, Arizona; stepchildren: Michael Borden of Underwood, Rebecca (Mrs. Darwin) Tiarks of Okinawa; seven step grandchildren; two-step great-grandchildren; stet sisters-in-law; Betty Stripes of Clarinda, Marcia (Mrs. Bob) Younger of Kimberling City, Missouri, and Virginia (Mrs. Bill) Hunter of Clarinda.He was preceded in death by his wife, Jean; his second wife, Peggy; his parents Gilbert and Esma; and a brother, Roger, in infancy.Funeral InformationServices for Gilbert will be held Thursday, February 6, 2003, at 2:00 p.m. at the Roland Funeral Home in Atlantic, Iowa with Rev. Mike Williams of the Elk Horn Lutheran Church of Elk Horn, IA and Rev. John G. Lacey of St. Mark's United Methodist Church in Lincoln, NE officiating. Interment will be in the Greenwood Cemetery in Cumberland, Iowa.