Rudy Allen Van Cleave, 82, of Boise, died Sunday, July 17, 2011, at Willow Park Assisted Living, where he lived the final chapter of his life cared for by his family and a loving staff.
Funeral services were held at 10:30 a.m., Friday, July 22, 2011 at the Alden-Waggoner Funeral Chapel. Burial will follow at 1:30 p.m. at the Emmett Cemetery, Emmett, Idaho.
Rudy was born March 10, 1929 in Smith’s Center, Kansas, to Benjamin and Elizabeth (Bessie) Baetz Van Cleave. He attended Hannah & Letha Grade Schools and graduated from Emmett High School in 1947. In 1950, Rudy married Velma Dougal and had a daughter and two sons. In 1965 he married Clara Mickelson and they had a daughter.
Rudy lived in Emmett, Boise, Cascade and then back to Boise. He was a meat cutter in Boise and Cascade where many families depended on him to provide that special cut of meat for the holidays. He worked various places including Safeway, Food King, Warm Springs BiLo and D9. Rudy enjoyed dancing, walking, tinkering in his garage on different projects and was the master of his specialty, making wild game salami and Rudy’s famous bratwurst.
He was a member of Red Rock Christian Church, Cascade Lions Club, and the National Guard.
Survivors include his children, Debra Johnston (Randy), Auburn, WA, Wayne Van Cleave (Judy), Boise, Idaho, Rod Van Cleave, Boise, Idaho and Diana Van Cleave, Boise, Idaho; seven grandchildren; and four great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by two sisters and four brothers.