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| C.J. McCurry |
| May 08, 1924 - May 27, 2010 |
Grinnell, Iowa
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| Memorial Service: Services have been postponed to a future date , at Grinnell First Friends Church |
C.J. “Duke’ McCurry, 86, of Grinnell died May 27, 2010, at his home.
Memorial services are scheduled for 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, June 2 at the First Friends Church in Grinnell with the Rev. Todd Follette officiating. Organist will be Kathy Vanderploeg. Burial will be held at a later date at Hazelwood Cemetery in Grinnell.
Memorial contributions may be directed to the Grinnell First Friends Church or to Quaker Heights in Eldora, Iowa.
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Duke was born May 8, 1924, in Grinnell, the son of Fred Hayse and Emma Mae Lincoln McCurry. He was raised in Grinnell and was a 1941 graduate of Grinnell High School.
He was a veteran of the United States Army during World War II serving in the European Theater. He fought in battles in the Rhineland, Central Europe, and the Ardennes-Alsace and was decorated with 3 Bronze Stars and the Purple Heart with Oak-Leaf Cluster. He was a P.O.W. towards the end of the war and “walked to freedom” on May 8, 1945.
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On July 26, 1942, he was united in marriage to Mary “Lee” Thompson in Kirksville, Missouri. The couple lived in Grinnell where he attended Grinnell College and was employed with several businesses in the area. He began his career with GTE in 1958 and was employed in several communities in Iowa, Nebraska, and Missouri specializing in customer services. At the time of his retirement in 1987 he was vice-president of the Missouri Telephone Association and then later moved to Grinnell.
He was past commander of the Grinnell American Legion, a life member of the V.F.W and Grinnell Elks Lodge, past president of the Cole County Extension in Jefferson City, Missouri, a former member of the Advisory Counsel for Extension at the University of Missouri, a member and past president of the Rotary Club in Columbus, Nebraska, and Columbia and Jefferson City, Missouri, and a former president of the P.T.A. middle school in Columbus. He was a track official for 20 years at the University of Missouri and attended the 1972 Olympics in Germany with a group of U.S.A. track officials.
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During his retirement years in Grinnell he was well known for his volunteer efforts throughout the community. He enjoyed his daily routine of sharing a cup of coffee with his friends, exercising, volunteer work, and visiting with residents at several nursing homes. He was a Good Samaritan. He was an avid fan of the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs, and enjoyed watching college football and keeping up with all the local sporting events. He also enjoyed his trips to MLB spring training in Florida.
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Survivors include his wife of Grinnell; two children, Kenneth L. McCurry and Cynthia Lee Rose of Grinnell; two grandchildren, Jennifer Ann Rose of Portland, Oregon and Susan Marie Rose of Marion; one great-grandchild, Nathaniel Rose of Portland; and one brother, Jerry McCurry of Knoxville. He was preceded in death by his parents; one brother, Gene McCurry; and one sister, Evelyn Sheeler.
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