Obituaries for October 17, 2000LEO LUCAS

Leo Lucas, 89, passed away Oct. 10, 2000, at Valley Hospital in Palmer, ending a long and colorful life.

He was born Joseph Francis Lazuka on Aug. 15, 1911, to Agnes Novak Luzaka and Constantine Lazuka in Chicago. At nine months he and his older brother were taken by their mother to visit family in Poland.

While there, their mother contracted influenza and died, leaving the boys in the care of their grandparents. With the outbreak of World War I and its chaos they were unable to return to Chicago until 1920. Early in 1927, at the age of 15, Leo headed out west to become a cowboy, working for ranchers and learning to handle horses. In 1933 he met his future wife, a rancher's daughter named Margaret Fiesler, and they were married Aug. 1, 1934, in Colorado. In 1938 they decided to try their luck in Alaska. Leo arrived in Cordova March 25 on the S.S. Alaska with Margaret and their two daughters.

A year later they decided to give Fairbanks a try but as heavy snows in Broad Pass that spring shut down rail traffic for a few days, Leo took a boat trip to the Matanuska Valley to see the area. After bringing Margaret and the girls out and staying in one of John Bugge's cabins, now the site of the 1st National Bank, they decided they had found home. During World War II Leo joined the Territorial Guard and ran heavy equipment helping to build Fort Richardson. After the war, he got his own Cat and started clearing land and building roads for the growing population of the Valley.

Additionally, he worked as an assistant guide for Jim Simpson and in 1947 earned his master guide's license and began guiding hands on horseback into the Talkeetna and Chugach mountains, a job he enjoyed more than any for many years. He was a member of the Moose Lodge, Elks Lodge, American Legion and Pioneers Igloo No. 33.

Survivors include his loving wife of 66 years, Margaret; son, Larry and wife, Sharon, of Palmer; daughter, Elaine Battles and husband, Gene, of Cascade, Idaho; son, Dan, of Palmer; grandchildren, Glenn, Pat, Kenny, and John Brymer, Kirk Winter, Dale Koppenberg, Jeanne Novasad, Lance Lucas, Teanna Lucas, Deanna Tirapelli, Howard Fritz, Rebecca Voss of Spokane, Wash.; and many close and cherished friends in the Valley and throughout Alaska. He was preceded in death by daughters, Moyene Brymer and Leona Grover.

Memorial services were at the Palmer Moose Lodge on Monday, Oct. 16. Arrangements were made by Kehl's Palmer Mortuary.