Howard Duane Buck (Son)

As written by his brother, Keith

Growing up, Howard [known as Son], was always busy doing something. He was gifted with so many talents. He seemed to always be doing something to a car, taking an engine apart and putting it back together or doing body work on the car. I always thought he would have his own auto repair shop someday. He also had a likewise talent dealing with electronic items. He could work on any radio or television set. He spent much of his early adult life working at several repair shops, fixing radios or television. He seemed to be able to fix most anything. I always wish that I could have had some of his talent.

Son also liked to build model airplanes and he always had many of them hanging from the ceiling in his bedroom. Before his death, he was helping me with the electrical portion of a model railroad layout. He never got the see the finished product. We both lived in Billings and we were just getting to know each other again and do a few things together.

Son usually always wore a smile and could warm up to just about anybody. Life was not always easy, but he always thought that things would be getting better. I never recall him complaining about anything. He had so many friends.

In 1976, Son was employed by the LeFebure Corporation in Billings, Montana, as a service technician. While traveling to a service call in Sidney, during a snowstorm about 8:00 p.m., Son was killed in a head on collision about ½ mile south of Sidney on Hwy. 16. Son died instantly from massive internal injuries. Myself, my parents and my three sisters and their families were all in the Seattle area for Christmas 1976, but Son and his family could not make it due to work. Our Christmas holiday was cut short and we all rushed back to Billings. It was cold and snowy the day of his service.

Dad never could let go of the death of Son and died of a heart attack in August of 1979 at the age of 68.

In August of 2000, just a few short days after the sudden death of my sister in Billings, I visited the scene of my brother's death for the very first time. My sister and I were always going to drive up and see the cross, but now, I stood there alone, with both of them gone. A white cross, that is now starting to rust, is still in place along the road where Son was killed. He was 32 when he died. I was 26. I have never been back to that spot.

I still think of my brother nearly every day. His wife passed away of cancer in 1998 at the age of 49. When Son was killed, they had two small children; a son, two years old and a daughter, 8 months old. The two kids are now grown and have families of their own. Their dad and mom would be so proud. The kids still live in Montana. In 1978, I left Billings and moved out to the Seattle area.

September 29, 1944 -

December 27, 1976