Marvin LeRoy "Bud" LaCroix

Marvin Leroy “Bud” LaCroix, age 94 of Yankton, South Dakota and formerly of Crofton, Nebraska died at his residence, in Yankton, on Monday, January 21, 2019. Funeral services will be on Saturday, January 26, 2019 at 10:30 a.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church in Crofton with the Rev. Amanda Talley officiating. Burial will be at the Crofton City Cemetery in Crofton, Nebraska with military rites by the Crofton American Legion Post #128. Visitation will be on Friday from 5-8:00 p.m. at the Wintz Funeral Home in Crofton. Visitation will continue on Saturday one hour prior to services. Pallbearers are Dawn Auch, Amanda LaCroix, Raquel Konecky, Brooke Konecky, Stacy Luetkenhaus, Morgan Luetkenhaus, Megan Luetkenhaus, Payton Pickworth, Rylee Pickworth, Addyson Pickworth, Honorary Pallbearers are Bud’s remaining grandchildren, and great grandchildren. Bud was born September 2nd, 1924 in Lindy, Nebraska to Harry LaCroix and Amanda (Berner) LaCroix. He grew up in Lindy, Nebraska, which was founded in 1928 by his Father. He was baptized & confirmed in the Good Shepherd Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lindy. High school was 14 miles away in Bloomfield, so he ended school after the 8th grade. As a farmhand in 1938, he earned $0.50 a day. Bud was drafted in the Army in the fall of 1942. He served in World War II from April 1943 through December 1945. He served throughout the Pacific Islands and was awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze star for bravery Training for the 242nd Engineers was at Ft. Ord, CA. Arriving at Guam while the action was still hot, he delivered ammunition to the frontlines. He later drove a truck as part of the erection of the Guam runways, later used by American B-29s. When Gen. MacArthur returned to Leyte, Bud was with him. Bridges were guarded day and night, and Bud drove guards back and forth. One day he was hauling 16 sentry guards when his vehicle was ambushed. He saw tracers come directly at the vehicle from both sides of the road. He sped up and swerved to the left, which likely confused the Japanese. One bullet struck an officer, but he kept going. It was so chaotic and his adrenaline was pumping so fast that Bud did not even notice that he had shrapnel in his arms. “The truck looked like a flour sieve. The windshield had holes in it.” Bud was Awarded a Purple Heart and Bronze Star for his actions that day. He later saw Hiroshima, which looked like a huge pasture fire. After the war he worked in the trucking business with his father Harry & his brother Merlin in Lindy, Nebraska. On August 19th, 1946 he was married to Darlene Ellen Tweedy in Lindy, Nebraska. He then took a job with a construction company in Pierre, South Dakota as a construction worker during the building of the Oahe Dam. He worked there from 1957-1960. He then moved to Weston, Nebraska and worked for an Alfalfa Mill for 10 years. In 1971 he moved to Crofton, Nebraska and formed a trucking company with his brother Merlin LaCroix. He loved hunting, fishing, dancing and playing bingo. Survivors include his children; Leroy (Betty) LaCroix of Yankton SD, Larry (Helen) LaCroix of Mead NE, Lonnie (Laurie) LaCroix of Yankton SD, Lois (Craig) Padgett of Omaha NE, and Lyle (Connie) LaCroix of Aripeka FL. He had 16 grandchildren and many more great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents Harry & Amanda, his wife Darlene of 62 years, his brother Merlin, his sister Mary Colter, his daughter Linda, his grandson Ricky LaCroix & his granddaughter Leah LaCroix.