Gale Ray Wilson, 88, of Sweet Home passed away Sunday, Sept. 11, 2016.
He was born Oct. 14, 1927 on a farm near Montrose, Jewell County, Kan. to Ray J. and Mildred M. (McCurdy) Wilson.
At an early age he moved with his family to Burr Oak, Kan., where he spent his childhood and attended school. He grew up during the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl days of Kansas, and was a member of the Greatest Generation.
Gale graduated from Burr Oak High School in 1945.
Gale was very active in sports and other school activities. He served as president of his freshman and senior class. He was active in school plays and clubs.
In sports he earned school letters four years in both football and track and three years in basketball. Gale had many ribbons for track and participated in the state of Kansas track meet his junior and senior years. He felt extremely honored that his fellow team members voted him Captain of both the football and the basketball teams his senior year. Gale was also honored to be selected to receive The Citizenship Award given each year to the outstanding senior boy and girl by the vote of the faculty.
Gale’s father passed away when he was 14 and he continued to work on the farm, planting and harvesting the crops with a four-horse team until his mother sold the farm in the fall of 1944. At that time 60 percent of the farmers in that area were using horses.
After graduation from Burr Oak High School in 1945, Gale went with a harvest crew for the summer. They harvested wheat from Oklahoma north to Minot, N.D.
He then entered the armed service of his country and served with the medical detachment of the Twentieth Infantry, Sixth Division as sick and wounded clerk, with the rank of technician 5th Grade, in Korea with the Army of Occupation at the end of World War II.
After being honorably discharged at Camp Beal, Calif., he lived for a time in Boise, Idaho, where he was employed by Eddie’s Bakery in the Shipping Department.
In July of 1947, Gale moved to Sweet Home, where he was employed at Willamette National Lumber Company, later to become Willamette Industries. He worked as a pipefitter, millwright and electrician for many more years, until an on-the-job injury forced his retirement after more than 43 years.
On Sept. 12, 1949, Gale was united in marriage to Marjorie L. Freeby of Mankato, Kan. in the First Christian Church in Boise, Idaho.
They returned to Sweet Home and started their lives together. To this union were born three children: Michael Ray, Brenda Lou and Kelly Gale.
Gale and Marjorie had a long and happy life together, enjoying many, many things as a loving family.
Gale was a charter member of the Sweet Home Elks Lodge and a Life Member.
He was a past Master and Life Member of Sweet Home Masonic Lodge #202. He was honored to receive its Hiram Award. which is given for special service. He received his 50-year jewel for membership in May of 2007. He is now a member of East Linn #44.
He served as Worthy Patron several times for Sweet Home Chapter #164, Order of the Eastern Star and was a Life Member. He also served the Masonic Grand Lodge of Ore-gon as Jr. Grand Steward. He was a member of the York Rite Masons and Al Kadar Shrine of Portland. He served Grand Chapter of the Order of Eastern Star as a member of the Home Endowment Committee and as a Grand Representative to Kansas and received the Rose Award.
He was a member of the Order of the Amaranth, a member of the VFW, and the American Legion Post at Burr Oak, Kan. – the same post as his father, a combat veteran of World War I who was a member and commander in the 1930s, and the International Woodworkers of America.
He served as a school board member and as a committeeman for Liberty School District near Sweet Home.
Gale had the Allstate Insurance Agency in Sweet Home in the late 1950s and 1960s and cherished the many friends he made. He is a member of The United Methodist Church in Sweet Home.
He enjoyed many things in life: his work, hunting and sports, traveling and attending fraternal meetings, especially the International Order for the Rainbow for Girls, for which his wife Marjorie was the adult leader in Oregon for 20 years as the Supreme Inspector. Later she served as Supreme Worthy Advisor for the world, The Order for the Rainbow for Girls.
Gale was State Rainbow Dad in 2003-04. He was given the Grand Master’s Award in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
He enjoyed being a special guest of the Bolivian Navy, with a special tour of Lake Titicaca, when the Rainbow Assemblies were organized in Bolivia in 2000. He enjoyed visiting Rainbow Assemblies in Australia, Brazil, Bolivia, The Philippines and Aruba. He made many Masonic friends.
Gale loved and enjoyed his family. His granddaughters and his great-grandchildren were his pride and joy.
He is survived by his devoted and loving wife of 67 years, Marjorie of Sweet Home; son Michael and his wife Cheri of Gothenburg, Neb.; daughter Brenda and her husband Larry Hyland of Dallas; son Kelly of Kameula, Hawaii; two granddaughters, Kimberly and her husband Shane Emmert of Silverton, and Nicole of Seattle, Wash.; two great-grandchildren, Caden Emmert and Jorie Emmert, both of Silverton; nieces, nephews and many friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents; brother Wayne Wilson; and sisters Pauline Behee Cockran and Betty Satterfield.
Viewing will be from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 22, at Sweet Home Funeral Chapel. A funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Friday, Sept. 23, at Fir Lawn Lutheran Church. Private burial, with military honors, will be held at Gilliland Cemetery.
Memorial contributions can be made in his name to O.E.S. Cancer research or Shriners Children’s Hospital.
Sweet Home Funeral Chapel is handling the arrangements.