Jacqueline Ann Allmaras Buck

Jacqueline Allmaras Buck, longtime resident of Mandan, died under the care of hospice on May 4 at the age of 97, at the home of her daughter Diane and husband Wayne Kordonowy in Ada, Ohio.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 1:00 P.M., July 8, 2026 at Christ the King Church in Mandan, ND. Burial will be at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery in Mandan on July 9, 2026.

Jacqueline Ann Allmaras was born April 28, 1929, an only child to Henry "Hank" Allmaras and Marion "Neustaedter" Allmaras in New Rockford, ND.

As a child she loved all the animals on the farm, especially the horses, sheep, and chickens. One year as she was getting her white pony ready for the Wells County Fair, she discovered the next morning that her cousin had sprayed him purple! Growing up, she had numerous cousins that she enjoyed visiting with.

When she attended country school, her gentle and faithful horse brought her to school, deposited her, and went home.

After rural school, she lived in town with her grandmother Mary and attended St. John's Academy.

As a youngster, she fancied herself to be like Nancy Drew and spied on the seasonal workers living in the wooden grain bin.

She attended the College of Saint Benedict in St. Joseph, MN, graduating with a social work degree. She went on to become a social worker in Sioux County, ND. She met Walter Buck, who was the sheriff, when he pulled her and her Chevy out of a snowbank.

Walter and Jackie were married in New Rockford in 1953 and settled in Fort Yates, ND, where they lived for two years. This is where their oldest children, Carol and Richard, were born. Later on they moved to Mandan, where two more children were born, James and Diane.

When the children were growing up, she planned yearly vacations all out of state. The memories from these trips are much cherished today. Jacqueline was a saint as she tenderly cared for her son Richard, who had epilepsy and was basically home bound.

For many years Jacqueline and Walter played cards with the next-door neighbors, Irene and Darwin VanderVorst. Skunk figures were given out to deserving losers.

Jackie enjoyed keeping a neat and tidy yard, as well as birdwatching, and especially liked reading, with science fiction being her favorite genre.

She was a huge Star Wars fan and without a doubt the force is still with her. For many years Jackie was on a bowling league and worked out at the Y.

Jackie was beloved by her grandchildren and always kept them in sneakers. Due to her love of movies, her children and grandchildren all became big movie buffs.

Jackie opened her home to her mother Marion in her last year of life and also helped her husband Walter reach the age of nearly 101.

Walter died on June 23, 2018. For the last years of her life, Jacqueline lived with her daughter Diane and her husband Wayne in Ada, Ohio. She loved it there, as Diane had horses, a dog named Balto, and special cats, including her own dear Penelope.

Although the dementia was a challenge, Wayne and Diane were honored to take care of Jackie in her final years. Holly Gibson, Jackie's caretaker, was adored by Jackie. Holly took Jackie on many excursions, whether it was stopping over to see Holly's goats, going to lunch, or grabbing an ice cream cone.

The family also wishes to thank Interim Hospice of Lima for their support at the last.

Jackie is preceded in death by her son Richard in 1982 and her husband Walter in 2018. She is one of the last of the Allmaras first cousins to pass away.

She is survived by her daughter Carol (David) Willman, son James Buck, and daughter Diane (Wayne) Kordonowy. Also surviving are seven grandchildren: Amanda (Garron), Nick, Jay (Emily), Darin (Christina), McKenzie, Tyler, and Luke. She also has three great-grandchildren: Cadance, Jayce, and Emery. She is also survived by a sister-in-law, Deloris Buck.

In remembrance of Jackie, memorials are preferred to the Humane Society in Mandan.