Peter Kukla, 92, formerly of Killdeer, died Monday, March 3, 2014 at St. Benedict’s Health Center, Dickinson. Peter’s funeral service will be at 10 a.m., Saturday, March 8, 2014 at Ladbury Funeral Service, Dickinson, with Rev. Bob Karie officiating. Interment will take place at the Korson Cemetery west of Killdeer. Military honors will be provided by the Killdeer American Legion Ezra Barrows Post 46, following the funeral service. Visitation will be on Friday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., and continue on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., at Ladbury Funeral Service.
Pete was born on March 10, 1921 on a farm south of Whetstone. His parents, Prokop and Anastesia (Maluha) Kukla, came from the Ukraine in 1907. He had 10 living brothers and 4 sisters. One brother died at birth. One brother, Emil, the fourth child, was born on the ship in 1907.
He had one year of high school and left home at the age of 17, he went west to California. When he turned 20, he joined the Navy on September 18, 1942 in Dickinson. The quota was filled and he had to wait six months before joining. He was in boot camp in San Diego, Calif. He said they washed clothes and sometimes practiced at the shooting range and wore dungarees instead of the Navy whites. The Marines, next door went on marches and worked hard at training. He served in the Pacific and was a Captain’s Aide in the #94 sea going tug. He helped refuel ships and took the Captain ashore in a Liberty Boat when needed. When fighting the Japanese, he was the pointer on the 3 & 4 inch guns. He saw his brother Tony, in Guam when they stopped to refuel. He was in Okinawa and Leyte in the Philippines. When his time was up he wouldn’t re-enlist for four years, as the Captain wanted him to. He left the Navy on December 7, 1945, after serving for three years and seven months, having earned an honorable discharge.
Pete then went to Detroit, Mich., where he went to school for welding, automobile mechanic and collision studies. He ended up coming home to farm, about 30 miles southwest of Killdeer. He put the crop in and then he went to work on an oilrig as a tongue man. This was a job working with heavy wrenches. First, he worked north of Killdeer, across the river on the reservation, and then worked later in Tioga. After getting injured on the oilrig, he was in a Fargo hospital in a body cast for three and a half months.
He quit farming after getting his injuries in the oil field. After getting out of the hospital and recuperating for three years, he went to Chicago, Ill., to attend Coyn Electrical School. His first job was in Minot at Olson’s Electric. He worked on small appliances and motors. After a year, he said, he thought he know it all and moved back to California. He worked on ocean pumps and electric motors for about 11 years, until they got too heavy to lift. For a year, Pete was an inspector and inspected airline cables, quitting in 1971. He then returned to North Dakota and started fishing for fun. After a bad winter and snow up to the neck, he decided to move to New Mexico, near the Rio Grande River in 1976. He talked about fishing and the White Bass & Trout, 5lbs. & 6lb. ones, and Walleyes. He lived here about 19 years, moving back to the Killdeer area in 1996. He had lived at the Evergreen Inn prior to becoming a resident of St. Benedict’s.
Pete is survived by one brother, Paul Kukla, LaMesa, Calif.; two sisters-in-law, Katie Kukla, Killdeer, and Ruby Kukla, Oregon; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; 12 siblings, Dan, Harpina, Polly, Emil, Mary, Marie, Jack, Willie, Mike, Alex, Tony, and John; and one infant brother.
