James Joseph Kucera

WAKEFIELD, Mich. - James Joseph Kucera, 85, died peacefully May 21, 2019, surrounded by his loving family in Wakefield.

Born in Chicago, on March 31, 1934, he was raised and schooled in Ironwood. In his teens and early 20s, he worked at Johnson's Truck Farm in Ironwood and their second farm in Iron County, Wis., where perennial plants and vegetables were grown for the wholesale and retail markets.

James entered military service with the U.S. Army during the Korean War and underwent basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Miss. He then transferred to Fort Lewis near Tacoma, Wash., where he joined...