Gale Wallace Siders' Obituary
RAMONA — Gale Wallace Siders passed away on May 27, 2018 at home with his family after a bout of flu which caused a sudden onset of congestive heart failure. He is predeceased by his first wife, Ruby Jayne Siders, and son, Bleu Lee Siders. He is survived by his wife of 38 years, Jonann Fuller Siders; granddaughters, Rachel Cooper, Ruby Heisler, Becky Voss, Bianca Olkiewicz; and seven great-grandchildren, Laurren, Ali, Ben, Kati, Gianna, Goia, and Ava.Gale was born in Ellisville, Illinois on February 8, 1920 to Myrtle and Albert Siders; one of six siblings. He grew up on a dairy farm and helped his father milk 40 cows every morning and night. After playing football and graduating from high school he decided he’d had enough of life on the farm and left to join the marines. He enlisted and became a recruit in San Diego, California on December 12, 1939.While serving in the Marines, he saw battle in the boxing ring as well as WWII. At one time he held his region’s middle weight Golden Gloves championship. He also saw action at Guadal Canal where he was injured by shrapnel. After three weeks in a coma he awoke in Honolulu, Hawaii. He was medically discharged as First Sergeant on April 14, 1945.He returned to San Diego and went to work for the California State Employment Agency. While there, he became friends with the recruiter for the County Sheriff’s Department who encouraged him to sign up. He served the County for 22 ½ years and retired in 1970.Prior to retiring from the Sheriff’s Department, he met a farrier named “Shorty” Turnbull who mentored Gale in the art of horse shoeing. When he retired from the Sheriff’s Department he went on to this second full-time career. All toll, Gale shod horses for over 65 years. During those years he was frequently called on for his expertise to solve the problems of a lame horse by many of the veterinarians in San Diego. In his spare time, he also taught numerous children and adults how to ride, train, and show horses even hauling some of them to shows all over San Diego County.Although his discharge papers from the Marines indicated that he would like to enter the field of aeronautics, he never did professionally. However, he did study to become a pilot eventually owning several small aircraft along with partners with the same soaring spirit. He flew throughout our western states whenever he had the opportunity. He only gave up his pilot’s license when he realized he didn’t have time for both flying and training horses.Gale was a farmer, football player, Marine, Golden Gloves Champion, deputy sheriff, farrier, pilot, husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, a ladies’ man and a man’s man. He lived a busy adventurous life and he stood firm in his beliefs and would say, “I did it my way!” Memorial services will be held on Saturday, June 9th at 10:00 am at Greenwood Memorial Park & Mortuary in the Salli Lynn Chapel.
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