Ralph Gadbury

Ireton, Iowa- Ralph Eugene Gadbury, 94, of Ireton, formerly of North Pole, Alaska, died Saturday, April 27, 2013 at his granddaughter's residence in Ireton.
Public Visitation will begin at noon Tuesday with the funeral service beginning at 7:00 p.m. Tuesday at the St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Ireton, Iowa. Burial will be Saturday, May 4, 2013 in Seattle, Washington. The Porter Funeral Home in Ireton is assisting the family.
Ralph Eugene Gadbury was born February 18, 1919, in Turon, Kansas surviving to the ripe old age of 94. He lived a fulfilling and adventurous life.
Growing up in Turon, Kansas with 3 brothers and 4 sisters, he left home at fifteen to earn his own way. He traveled the mid-west shucking corn for farmers and working a sheep ranch for his future father-in-law. He married his sweetheart before shipping off to France as Army Sergeant in WWII. His platoon was the first wave to land in Normandy Beach on D-Day, where he earned a 'Purple Heart.' With pocket bibles gripped and crosses about their necks, Ralph and one comrade were the only two in their platoon, to survive the war and free the frail prisoners in the German concentration camps.
After mining for coal and engineering on the largest steam powered train ever made for Union Pacific, Ralph later heeded the 'Call of the Wild,' where he lived out 55 years in Alaskan Territory. His young family of four traveled the rutty road north to help his mother farm in North Pole. After her passing, he opened the 'Golden Heart Dairy' and too soon, was forced into bankruptcy by government related buy-outs. Ralph pulled himself up by his boot straps though and later became foreman of the Fort Wainwright Power Plant in Fairbanks, where he retired 20 years later. He and his wife spent many busy weekends at the 'Good Paster' cabin; dip netted for salmon on the Copper River and fished Halibut in Homer through the summers. They ice fished the winters away at the lake and traveled to see family in the 'lower 48' (as Alaskan's say).
Ralph lost his wife, Jean, his sons Ray & Richard, a granddaughter, two brothers and a sister while he was here on earth. He is survived by three sisters, one brother, four grandchildren & many great grandchildren. Amidst sad losses, he had a richly blessed life and left this world with yet another badge of honor, 'Great, Great Grandfather' twice over. He believed in his heart that Jesus Christ died on the cross for him and looked forward to being reunited with his family in heaven. He now spends eternity in peace, awaiting all of us to join him.