Obituary of R. John Buckman

BUCKMAN RICHARD JOHN Richard John Buckman, known as R.J. or “Doc” to many of his friends, was born on December 22, 1928, on the family farm northeast of Gayville, SD, to Raymond H. Buckman and Clara (Snow) Buckman. He graduated from Gayville High School and attended South Dakota State University for three years for his pre-veterinary education. He graduated from Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1953 with a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine. He served two years as a veterinary officer in the United States Air Force, spending time in both Mobile, Alabama, and Chicago, Illinois, before coming to Yankton, where he practiced veterinary medicine for 34 years before retiring in 1989. He was a member of the South Dakota, Interstate and National Veterinary Medical Associations. John married his sweetheart, Betty Lou Hanson, from Mission Hill, SD, on August 12, 1951, while he was attending Iowa State University, and had the privilege of enjoying a beautiful and fruitful married life with his bride for nearly 65 years. A big part of their lives were the blessings of their three sons: Jonathon, David and James. Theirs was a true lifetime love story as John often credited his future wife’s prayers when she was a young lady for bringing them together. Betty prayed earnestly that “God would either take away her deep love for John or give him the same love for her” and God answered her prayers with a lifetime of love. Dad cared for and sacrificially protected his wife as she began her struggle with Alzheimer’s more than a decade ago and their devotion and love flourished up until the very end. John held church board positions and taught Sunday school for a number of years. He was also a member of the The Gideons International organization where he actively participated in their Bible distribution and prison ministries. He was adamant when planning his funeral and obituary several years ago that it be told that “John was a sinner whose name is written in heaven through the grace of God and the precious blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ”. It was impossible to know John without knowing of his humble and active faith in God and His Son Jesus. He drew his strength in life from reading God’s Word and through prayer and loved spending time with friends and family discussing faith, the Bible and spiritual topics. He viewed death not as an end, but rather a beginning of a new life in the very presence of his Heavenly Father. John is survived by his wife, Betty, a resident of Sister James Care Center in Yankton, son Jonathon, his wife Diane and children Kyler and Madison, Olathe, KS; son David, his wife Roberta and children Kaitlyn and Laura, Minnetonka, MN; son James, his wife Amy and children Audrey, Ava and John Henry, Stilwell, KS; sister and brother-in-law Jenniver and Charles Gile, Sr., Green Valley, AZ; sisters-in-law Sharonn Buckman, Newton, IA, and Kay Kjonegaard, Chamberlain, SD, and brother-in-law Dan Hanson, Walla Walla, WA, and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Raymond and Clara Buckman, his in-laws, Glen and Theresa Hanson, sister and brother-in-law Francis and Theodore Molden, brother Bud Buckman, and brothers-in-law Ron Kjonegaard, Robert Hanson and Dave Shallenberger. In lieu of flowers memorials may be directed to The Gideons International, P.O. Box 334, Yankton, SD, 57078, or gideons.org