John F. Luce Jr.

Gettysburg - John F. Luce Jr., age 48, of Gettysburg, died Friday, Sept. 9, 2005, as the result of an airplane accident near Faulkton. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2005, at the Legion Annex, Gettysburg with Rev. Bert Van Essen officiating. Burial will be in the Gettysburg Cemetery under the direction of Luce Funeral Home. Visitations will be Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2005, from 12 until 5 p.m. at the funeral home. A prayer service will be held at 7 p.m. at the Legion Annex. John Francis Luce Jr. was born on Feb. 15, 1957, at Aberdeen, S.D., to John F. and Vivian (Klapperich) Luce. He grew up in Aberdeen until 1967 when the family moved to Groton, S.D. He graduated from the Groton High School in 1975. He then attended Northern State College in Aberdeen for two years and graduated from Mount Hood Community College in Gresham, Oregon in 1978 with a degree in Mortuary Science. In June, 1978, moved to Faulkton, S.D., to manage the Langslet Funeral Home. In 1982 he purchased the Langslet Funeral Homes in Faulkton and Gettysburg and moved to Gettysburg in August, 1982. In 1985 he opened the Luce Funeral Home in Eagle Butte. In 1986, along with Ken Ripley, he purchased the Larson Funeral Home in Mobridge. In 1986, he and his wife purchased the Sears Catalogue Store in Gettysburg, of which his wife managed. In 1997, along with Ken Ripley, he purchased Kesling Funeral Home in Mobridge. In March, 2000, John purchased the Reck Funeral Home in Miller, S.D. He later acquired Paetznick-Garness Funeral Chapel, Groton, and Mohs Funeral Home, Webster. Lastly, in February, 2005 Luze Funeral Home was purchased. John married Jeannine Diestel on June 4, 1977, at St. John's Catholic Church in Groton, S.D. They were divorced in 1991. He married Carmen Combellick in 2001, and they were divorced in 2003. John is a member of the S.D. Funeral Directors Association, having served as its president. He is a member of the Gettysburg Country Club, Wheatland Lions, and 4th Degree Knights of Columbus. He has served as Faulk County Coroner from 1978 until 1982 and as Potter County Coroner from 1982 until his death. He is survived by his mother: Vivian Luce of Gettysburg; six children: Matthew Luce of Kansas City, Trina (Mart) Zomers of Moorhead, Minn., John Luce III of Aberdeen, Tiera Combellick of Gettysburg, Teryn "Gator" Combellick of Gettysburg and Avery Dutt of Gettysburg. He has 12 grandchildren, one brother: Steve (Terri) Luce of Powder Springs, Georgia; three sisters: Vickie (Bruce) Sippel of Groton, Kathy (Bryan) Evjan of Watertown, and Sherrie (Dean) Van Zee of St. Lawrence, S.D.; people who shared in his life: Lynette Dutt and Marlys Hinckley. Preceding him in death was his father, Francis and one niece: Lisa Sippel. In lieu of flowers memorial are preferred. The memorials will be directed to the Shrine Hospital.