Fred Cruckson
Fred was born April 23, 1931 during the Great Depression to Emerson and Inez Lettie (Bloomfield) Cruckson. He was raised with his brother, Bill, and sister, Delores, on a dairy farm near Dalton, Wisconsin. Fred attended grades 1-8 at Mount Moriah School, a one room county school in Kingston, often riding his horse, Babe, to class. Fred graduated from Markesan High School in 1948 where he was active in 4H, basketball and the school newspaper, something he continued to do after high school working as a linotype operator for a weekly newspaper.
Fred joined the US Air Force in 1950 during the Korean War and was stationed at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. Fred received training in teletypewriter in Cheyenne, Wyoming and attended cryptography school in St Louis, Illinois.
Fred met Vivian Barbara Donner on a blind date and they married April 21, 1951 at a small ceremony in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Vivian was the light of Fred’s life and they celebrated 69 years together, raising eight children until Vivian’s death on April 1, 2020.
Education was important to Fred and he obtained his Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education in 1957 at Wisconsin State College in Oshkosh. In 1959 Fred completed his studies for Master of Science in Education at The University of Wisconsin. Fred taught at Webster Stanley Junior High School in Oshkosh for 5 years before becoming a school administrator in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin for 22 years. Fred finished out his career at the Whitnall School District in Milwaukee County as Director of Instruction.
Fred retired in 1991 in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin spending most of his time with his wife, Vivian, children, spouses, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Fred enjoyed traveling, listening to Country Western music and “puttering around the house”. And genealogy! Fred inherited his mother’s love of searching out family history. He amassed volumes of history on his family, his wife’s family, his children’s families and shared his research freely. A presentation by Fred at a Cruckson Family Reunion was always a highlight.
Fred is survived by his family of eight children: Stephanie Diliberto (Michael) Sarasota, FL; Catherine Findling Milwaukee, WI; John Cruckson (Judith) Hutchinson, MN; Jennifer Ziegelbauer (Paul) Malone, WI; James Cruckson (Lori) Sarasota, FL; Sharon Schwalbe (Evan) Fond du Lac, WI; Susan Cruckson Fond du Lac, WI; Peter Cruckson (Hlee) Rhinelander, WI. Fred and Vivian had 28 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren. Fred was preceded in death by 2 grandchildren.
A visitation will be held at Zacherl Funeral Home, Fond du Lac, WI on September 9th at 10:00 a.m. followed by a funeral service at 11:00 a.m. Fred will be laid to rest in Sacred Heart Cemetery Oshkosh, WI. In lieu of flowers/memorials, the family is grateful for time spent with family and friends.