Wallowa County Chieftain Newspaper, Enterprise, Oregon, dated (Thursday) April 7, 1960.

"Friends Mourn Passing of Harley Tucker"

"Summoned in "Last Roundup"

Photo Caption: Harley Tucker, one of Wallowa county's most colorful cowboys, has responded to the "last round-up". Hundreds of friends assembled at the Joseph Methodist Church Wednesday afternoon to hear a final tribute paid t a man whose name was almost synonymous with rodeos and western shows. He passed away last Saturday at Vancouver, still in the saddle, and still flagging cowboys into the rodeo arena as hundreds of thousands of people had seen him do for many years in the biggest roundup shows in the West. This picutre of Harley, taken a few years ago, shows him as most of his friends like to remember him - in the saddle with teh Wallowa mountains in the background.

"Heart Attack Takes Life Of Rodeo Cowboy"

Harley Tucker, one of the nation's top producers of rodeo stock and one of Wallowa county's most prominent ranchers, died suddenly about 11 o'clock Saturday evening at the rodeo grounds in Vancouver, Washington where he was furnishing stock for a rodeo sponsored by the Clark County Saddle Club. He was stricken with a heart attack as he worked behind the chutes flagging the last of contestants into the arena. Death was apparently instantaneous. He had been afflicted with a heart condition for approximately a year.

Funeral services were held yesterday (WednesdayA) afternoon from the Methodist Church in Joseph with Rev. Floyd E. White officiating.

Mrs. David Doerksen was organist, and Floyd Kennedy, Victor Crow, Malcolm Dawson and David Doerksen sang "Home On The Range" and "Empty Saddles".

Honorary pallbearers were: Elden Couper, Lynn Beutler, Leonard Huffman, Bill Showalter, Newt Hodgen, Ray Small, Buford Kinnison, and Merl West. Casket bearers were: Theodore Grote, Henry Hatch, David Harmon, William Harper, Roy Daggett, and George Dawson, and interment was in the Prairie Creek cemetery.

Tucker was born on January 24, 1908 at Joseph, the son of David G. and Minnie Tucker and had lived in Wallowa county all his life. He was married to Anna Louise (Bonnie) Knapper at Boise, Idaho on November 29, 1939. He was a member of the Elks Lodge of Enterprise, the Rodeo Cowboys Association and the Joseph Chamber of Commerce.

Tucker had lived on a ranch near Joseph all his life. After a few years as a sheep operator he went into the cattle and rodeo stock business which had long been his chief interest. Since 1942 he had been supplying rodeo stock for many of the largest show for many of the largest shows in the Pacific Northwest. Last winter he provided more stock than any ohter producer for the National Rodeo Finals at Dallas, Texas. He was probably known by more cowboys and more rodeo fans than any other figure in the rodeo field.

Tucker was one of the original promoters of the Chief Joseph Days show held annually at Joseph, and his personal interest in this show and his contributions to it played a large part in making this event one of the most popular shows in the Pacific Northwest.

Tucker's easy-going competence and good humor made him one of the most popular figures in Wallowa county.

Surviving are his widow, a daughter, Darlene, 17, a son, David (Butch) 14, and a sister, Mrs. Norman (Hester) McClain, all of Joseph.

Darlene, queen of the 1959 Chief Joseph days show, was recently named one of the princesses in the Pendleton Roundup.