Charles “Mike” Rukgaber, 79, of Independence, Mo. passed away on Wednesday, September 7, 2022, at Centerpoint Hospital with his daughters by his side.
Born January 20, 1943, in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, he was the son of the late Miles J. Rukgaber and the late Wilma Maxine Ogg Rukgaber both of Mount Pleasant, Ia.
Mike lived in his hometown of Mount Pleasant, Iowa growing up. Mike was a Sports Manager for all sports teams at Mount Pleasant Community High School. He graduated from Iowa Wesleyan College in Mount Pleasant, Ia., and continued his education and was a graduate of the University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa with a degree in Civil Engineering. He was the City Engineer of Burlington, Iowa, and Belton, Missouri. He also worked with Larkin and Associates in Kansas City, Missouri, as well as the City of Mount Vernon, Illinois. And retired from his career in Streets & Traffic Department in Kansas City, Mo.
Mike and Linda were married April 17, 1976, in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. Mike and Linda lived in Burlington, Iowa until 1985. They enjoyed traveling to the annual Engineering National Conventions together. They also supported their daughter Nina in high school sporting events throughout the State of Iowa and watched their daughter Roxanne participate in dance. Mike and Linda moved to Belton, Missouri in 1985 and have lived in the Kansas City area for their remaining years to be close to their children and grandchildren. Mike enjoyed spending time with his children and grandchildren, taking family trips to Branson and Hollister, Missouri, and the “Crazy 8 Rukgaber Revival” Family Trips. He enjoyed watching Iowa Hawkeye football, Kansas City Chiefs, and Kansas City Royals baseball. He was an avid “puzzle extraordinaire” and has many of his framed creations on display at the Villages of Jackson Creek Skilled Care Facility. There were no puzzles or numbers/equations that he could not conquer. He liked his occasional trips to the casinos. At his skilled care facility, he was known as the “Honorary Mayor” and President of the Resident Relations Committee and known throughout the care center as a patient experience leader for others.
He was preceded in death by his wife Linda June (Rule) Rukgaber, (formally of Burlington, Iowa) and currently living in Independence, Mo. He had two daughters, Nina Mewes (Steven Noe) formally of Burlington, Iowa now residing in Lake Winnebago, Missouri, and Roxanne Mewes DeLong of Racket, Missouri; three grandchildren, Jessica Noe (Brandon Kalwei), Greenwood, Missouri, Joshua Noe (Jenna Noe) of Columbia, Missouri, Katelyn DeLong, Oak Grove, Missouri, and two great-grandchildren Adalynn June Kalwei and Hudson Lee Kalwei, two sisters Sharon Rukgaber Messer (Robert Messer) of Mount Pleasant, Ia., Diana Rukgaber Rodgers (Ernest Rodgers) of Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, and the late Linda Rukgaber McWilliams (Lee McWilliams) of Mount Pleasant, Ia., his brother in law James Lee Rule (Phyllis Rule) of Macomb, Ill. He was also survived by his nieces and nephews: Mike Messer, Lisa Messer Goody (Jason Goody), Rhonda Kinney Longworth (Paul Longworth), Thomas (TJ) Kinney (Sonja Kinney), Katie Rodgers Walter (Ryan Walter), Kyla Rodgers Stephens (Brian Stephens), great niece and nephew Miles and Macie Stephens.
The funeral service for Mike was held on Saturday, September 10 at the First United Methodist Church, Mount Pleasant, Iowa. Burial will be in Aspen Grove Cemetery in Burlington, Iowa immediately following. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in honor of Charles Michael Rukgaber to: the Engineering Excellence Fund at the University of Iowa https://donate.givetoiowa.org , the United Cerebral Palsy Foundation (CPF) https://www.yourcpf.org/ or donations may be made directly to the family for completion of a Butterfly Garden for the Villages of Jackson Creek to bring his project to fruition.