WWII Veteran to celebrate 100 years

Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune

Judy Shaubach sits next to her dad, Leeroy Tucker, a 99 year old WWII veteran who is recognized during the Veteran’s Day Service. Tucker will turn 100 years on Friday.

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World War II veteran and long time Madera resident Leeroy Tucker will celebrate his 100th birthday Friday by opening his home to family and friends to wish him well.

“I’m looking forward to my party,” Tucker said. “One of my oldest family friends said they are coming. I’m ready to see everyone. It will be fun. I like listening to all of their stories about what happened when we were kids. Living this long is a lot of hard work and you have to find what makes you happy. I had plenty of that, plenty of work and plenty of time to play. There were a lot of things we did.”

Tucker spent a majority of his life baling hay with his cousin and distributing it around the Valley. “My cousin had a lot of alfalfa,” Tucker said. “When my wife and I got married, my cousin bought a truck, so we started in the alfalfa business. I worked for my cousin for more than 50 years.”