Rudolph "Rudy" Liebsack, 99, of Grand Island, died Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2018, at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Grand Island. The cause of death was age-related heart failure.
Graveside service will be at a later date in the spring time at Westlawn Memorial Park Cemetery.
Memorials are suggested to either the Hall County Hero Flight or the Grand Generation Center.

All Faiths Funeral Home is entrusted with the arrangements.
Rudy was born May 12, 1919, in Grand Island, the son of Henry and Margaret (Eckhardt) Liebsack, German immigrants from Frank, Russia.
Rudy was predeceased by his wife of 60 years, Gertrude (Schaar) Liebsack; brothers, Henry, Adolph and George; and sisters, Kathryn, Frieda, Margaret and Lydia.
Survivors include daughter, Marilyn Davis of Grand Island; son, Steven (Donna) Liebsack of Hastings; several nieces and nephews; and a special friend, Doris Breckner.
He was married to Gertrude M. Schaar (Arcadia, Iowa), on Aug. 15, 1943. Rudy graduated from Grand Island Senior High in 1937 and attended the University of Nebraska from 1940 to 1941 to study architecture until WWII intervened.

Rudy was assigned to the Army Engineer Corps, July 1941 through 1943. Then he transferred to the Army Air Corps while overseas. He was trained as a radio operator and joined the 7th Air Force (B-24 bomber crew) 431st Squadron. He flew 30 missions in the South Pacific including Iwo Jima, Nagasaki, Honshu and several other targets as a gunner-radar operator. Rudy's crew was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal and numerous other medals. He achieved the rank of Technical Sergeant.
Rudy was honorably discharged from the service in November 1945, returning to Grand Island. He managed Grand Island Typewriter Company for thirty years. He was a member of Grand Island Chamber of Commerce, Lions Club, Platt Deutsch, Saddle Club, Liederkranz, the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia and other civic organizations. He was well known for his mastery of ballroom dancing, traveling to big band dances throughout the Midwest and South.







Facebook
Twitter
Email
Print
Save