C.S.M. Whitcraft

EAST LANSING, Mich. a�" C.S.M. Richard E. "Buck" Whitcraft, 88, of East Lansing, formerly of Van Wert, Ohio, died at 10:25 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 31, 2015, at the Marquette in East Lansing.

He was born July 10, 1926, in Van Wert, to the late Mildred (Marvin) Whitcraft and Forest L. Whitcraft.

His wife, Gloria (Landgon) Whitcraft, died Jan. 20, 2008. They were married Jan. 30, 1946.

Survivors include children: Steve Whitcraft and Brent "BW" Whitcraft, both of Van Wert, and Brenda (Eric) Merkle of Lansing, Michigan; sisters: LaRita Jones of Louisville, Kentucky, and Donna (Ron) Stuckey of Van Wert; six grandchildren: Scott (Traci) Whitcraft, Jason (Angie) Whitcraft, Josh (Ashlee) Ellinger, Andrew (Cherie) Merkle, Kylie (John) Crowley, Kyle Lane; eight great-grandchildren: Kaleb Whitcraft, Taylor Whitcraft, Spencer Whitcraft, Camille Whitcraft, Jordan Whitcraft, Lily Ellinger, Nathan Ellinger, Carson Ellinger, Adley Crowley, and stepgreat-grandchildren: Courtney Van Horne, Brianna Van Horne, and Gabriella Van Horne.

He was preceded in death by a daughter-in-law: Dee Whitcraft, and a brother: Roger Whitcraft.

C.S.M. Whitcraft retired in 1984 after 37 years of military service. He was a WW II veteran. After active duty in the army, he was appointed a full-time Army Guardsman in the state of Ohio.

He served as the first sergeant of the Van Wert Guard unit from October 1953 until June 1968. He was transferred to headquarters First Battalion 148th Infantry in Lima in June 1968 and was appointed as command sergeant major and held this rank until his retirement in September 1984. He served as a guest instructor at the National Guard Professional Education Center in Little Rock, Arkansas.

He was one of five Army Guardsmen in the Army National Guard of the United States selected to prepare a new course of candidate school during their annual training periods. He held this position for seven years. He served on numerous enlisted retention boards at the state level.

He was appointed as the command sergeant major of the 73rd Infantry Brigade as his last duty assignment before his retirement in September 1984. In January 1998, he was appointed the honorary command sergeant major of the 148th Infantry Regiment for a period of three years by the Adjutant General of Ohio.

He was a lifetime member of the Van Wert Elks Lodge 1197 and Van Wert American Legion. He was an avid golfer and past member of Willow Bend Country Club and The Woods Golf Club, both of Van Wert.

Services will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2015, at Alspach-Gearhart Funeral Home & Crematory, Van Wert. Burial will be in Woodland Cemetery, Van Wert, with military graveside services performed by combined units of the Van Wert American Legion and VFW posts.

Visitation is 10:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 4, at the funeral home.

Preferred memorial is Ohio Elk's Cerebral Palsy or Senior Companion Care.