Graveside services for Thomas N. Rupe, 91 and Delores C. Rupe, 96 will be held at Douglas Park Cemetery on October 14, 2008. Delores passed away March 3, 2008 and Tom on Oct. 1, 2008; both dying at the Douglas Care Center. Tom was the son of Tandy and Lucille (Bulger) Rupe. His family moved to a homestead just outside of Bill in 1930, where he grew up. As a young man, he joined the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) during the Great Depression. He enlisted in the U.S. Army and served from Sept. 18, 1940 to Nov. 22, 1944, serving in the Pacific Theater during World War II. As a non-commissioned officer in the infantry, Tom led his men through brutal hand-to-hand combat to defeat the Japanese invasion of Alaska in the Battle of Attu in the Aleutian Islands. Tom rarely spoke of his experiences. During his time in the service, Tom married Helen Opal Pickinpaugh and they had two sons, Maurice Jacque Rupe and Thomas L. "Larry" Rupe. Following the war, Tom and Helen divorced and he moved to California. He later married Delores Holbrook in Modesta, Calif. in 1953; a marriage lasting 55 years. Following a move to Missouri, Tom and Delores moved back to the Douglas area, where he operated his own contracting business and built many of the buildings in Douglas. Tom was preceded in death by his parents; wife Delores; brothers I.B. and Jack Rupe; and grandson Eddie Rupe. He is survived by his son Jack (Jan) Rupe of Douglas and Tom "Larry" Rupe (Yung) of Denver; granddaughter Tammy (Corey) Larson of Douglas; grandson Chad Rupe of Douglas; three great-granddaughters; two great-grandsons; and two nephews, Tom Rupe of Casper and Jim Rupe of Douglas. (Information was obtained from his obituary in the Douglas Budget Oct. 8, 2008 and cemetery records.)