We lost a great one when Paul Struck died on Monday at age 78. Our sympathies go to his wife, Darla, and family. The editor of the Cherokee Chronicle Times will be missed dearly. He was a wit. A sage. Bull-headed. Often right. Fearless.
He was a star at Storm Lake St. Mary's and Buena Vista College in baseball and basketball, a teammate of the late, great Larry Biittner of Pocahontas on those dynastic Beaver teams of the 1960s. Oh, the tales Struck could tell. He grew up on the lean side in tiny Truesdale and then Storm Lake, when the family moved to Cherokee. Paul would ride the train to Buena Vista in the morning and hitchhike home to Cherokee in the afternoon, often catching a ride from the state trooper. We were kids then, his fans.
We remained fans as adults. Cherokee was blessed with two legendary editors in our lifetimes: Tom Miller, former editor and owner of the Cherokee Daily Times, who judged the Pulitzer Prizes; and Struck, one of the most intensely read community columnists for his entertaining, and sometimes biting, style.
Paul got his start with Miller, then took a break from the news to sell steel buildings, and ended up back in the newspaper business. He landed on the news desk at the Sioux City Journal, but was lured back home to help launch a hometown newspaper with his nephew, Troy Valentine. The Brothers Cullen printed the Cherokee Chronicle and we renewed our old fraternity with Paul. Even when we were scrapping over $10, we could always laugh at each other.
It was our pleasure to reunite with Paul when we purchased the Chronicle Times a couple years ago. Paul had kept a flicker of life going in the days of distant owners. He was excited for a reinvigorated newspaper representing the place he chose as his hometown. We remain grateful to him for helping us in the transition. He wanted to keep on writing. We all do. He had more to say. Time took him away. We take a lesson from that: These matters are urgent.
Paul Struck had a voice and used it for his hometown until he couldn't. We should all take note. — Art Cullen
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