Ronald Tucker

Ronald Tucker, age 92, of Willmar, died Wednesday morning, June 19, at Bethesda Grand Nursing Home in Willmar.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, June 24, at the Church of St. Mary in Willmar. Visitation will be two hours prior to the service at the church on Monday. Interment will be at Sacred Heart Catholic Cemetery in Murdock. Arrangements are with Peterson Brothers Funeral Home in Willmar.  www.petersonbrothers.com

Ronald James Tucker was born July 8th, 1926 in Dublin Township, near Murdock, Minnesota to James and Nora (Barrett) Tucker. He grew up in the Murdock area and graduated from Murdock High School in 1945. In 1952, Ronald married Anita Schoen at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Murdock. They resided north of Murdock, where they farmed for 43 years. In 1994, they moved to Willmar.

Ronald played for the Murdock town baseball team until signing a professional contract in 1947 with the Boston Braves organization. After finishing his professional career he played many years with the Benson, DeGraff and Kerkhoven town teams. He played his last amateur game in 1962 where he pitched a perfect game against Raymond. In 2017, he was inducted into the West Central Minnesota Baseball Hall of Fame.

Ronald served on the Kildare Township board for 23 years and was a director on the First Bank Benson board for 8 years. In 1962, he was named Outstanding Young Farmer in Swift County. He served as usher at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Murdock.

Ronald is survived by three children, Lawrence (and Patricia) Tucker, Robert Tucker, and Linda (and Loren) Gorres; four grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; sister-in-law, Dorothy Anderson, and other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, James and Nora; his wife, Anita in 2016; one brother; two sisters and a daughter-in-law.