Wilfred Lucko, 87, was born to Fritz E. Lucko and Natalie (Fielder) Lucko on May 20, 1922 in Witting, Texas. He grew up in the Shiner-Charlotteburg area, where he attended school until the war broke out and did as any American would do, he enlisted in the Army Air Core. He did basic training in San Antonio, Texas, now known as Randolph Air Force Base, and was then transferred to Dodge Air Station, located in Dodge City, Kansas.

In 1944, on his way home from Kansas, he meet Lola Inez Tumlinson, in Luling, Texas. Six months later, they were married in Harwood on July 21st at the home of Lola’s parents and have been married for 64 years.

Wilfred was preceded in death by his brother Arnold in 1931, his mother in 1953 and his father in 1968. Wilfred still has one sister, Wilma Hoerig, living in Yoakum, Texas, one uncle living in Houston, Texas and one aunt living in Austin, Texas.

He worked for the Texas Highway Department for 33 years where he retired in 1977 and became a full time fireman with the Yoakum Fire Department. He had been a volunteer fireman with Yoakum Fire Department for over ten years.

In 1994, he and Lola moved from Yoakum to Spring Branch, Texas to be closer to their daughter and grandchildren. Upon his arrival, he immediately joined the Spring Branch Volunteer Fire Department until August 17, 2009, when he quietly passed away at his home. Wilfred was awarded and honored as the oldest fire fighter in Comal County.

He was a member of the American Legion, both in Yoakum and Blanco, Texas. He was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church, Blanco, Texas.

He was president of the Indian Hills Estates Water Board for over 10 years and was on the Indian Hills Estates Architectural Committee for 3 years. He was known throughout the neighborhood as “Pappy”. If you knew Pappy, you were family! He will be surely missed throughout the community!

He has one daughter, Merle, and her husband, Ron Raymond, of Spring Branch, Texas; two grandchildren: Amanda Richmond and her husband, Rob, of San Antonio, Texas and IC2 Richard Raymond, and his wife, Amanda, of San Diego, California; 4 great-grandchildren: Korybn, Zander, Landon and Odessah Reneiah; and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews. Papaw was his favorite name his grandchildren called him!

In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund in his name, Wilfred Lucko “Pappy”, can be made to the Spring Branch Volunteer Fire Department in Spring Branch, Texas.

Visitation will be Thursday, August 20, 2009 from 12:00pm to 7:00pm with family being present from 5:00 to 7:00pm. Services will be held Friday, August 21, 2009 at 10:00am at the Trinity Lutheran Church, Blanco, TX. Burial will follow at 3:00pm at the Shiner Cemetery, Shiner, TX.