Reuben Walter Law, 106, died Jan. 1, 2005, at Carson-Tahoe Hospital following a brief illness. Mr. Law was born in Northfield, Minn., on Aug. 14, 1898.
He lived in Minnesota's Twin Cities area most of his life.
He served in both World Wars - as a sergeant in the AEF Motor Transport Corps in France during World War I, and as an active U.S. Coast Guard Reserve officer on the Mississippi River during World War II. He was the oldest WWI survivor in Nevada.
His early professional career as a civil engineer and landscape architect included work with the St. Paul Parks Department; the Minnesota Highway Department, as a North Shore Lake Superior construction supervisor; and Minnesota State Parks, as deputy director. In 1950, he became a member of the landscape architectural firm of Morell & Nichols Inc., in Minneapolis. The firm became Nason, Law, Wehrman, and Knight Inc. in 1956 and, before his retirement in 1965, he served as president.
After retiring to Ruth Lake in northern Minnesota, he served two terms as mayor of the town of Emily, and as the president of the Emily Co-op Telephone Co. Mr. Law was the oldest active member of the Masonic Lodge No. 1 in Carson City, and a 75-year member and past master of the Masonic Lodge in Como Park, Minn.
Mr. Law was first married to Edith Martin Law; she preceded him in death in 1931. Following the death of his second wife, Hazel, in 1988, he relocated from Crosby, Minn., to Carson City in 1993 to live with his son's family.
Among his survivors are his daughter and three sons: Margaret (Law) Melrose of Minneapolis; Walter Law of Knoxville, Tenn.; James Law of Pompano Beach, Fla.; and David Law of Carson City; 11 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Cremation is by Walton's Chapel of the Valley. According to his wishes, he will be interred in late spring in Minnesota, at the Sunset Memorial Park, which he helped to design and build.
No funeral services will be held in Carson City; however, memorial donations may be made to charities in his name.