SALEM Nels T. Kuust died at his residence March 29.

He was born May 20, 1919 in Sanish, N.D. to Andrew and Anna (Rattiya) Kuust.

Mr. Kuust was a member of the 630th Tank Destroyer Battalion which was attached with the First Armored Division in World War II. The Bloody Bucket Panzers, as the battalion came to be known, participated in the St. Lo breakthrough, the liberation of Belgium and Luxembourg, the battle for Hurtgen Forest, the bloody battle of the Bulge, the liberation of Colmar, action in the Saarland and Palatinate and the Ruhr pocket.

He lived in Portland for over 40 years where he worked as a carpenter with H.A. Anderson Construction Company.

He moved to McMinnville where he lived for 12 years before moving to Salem where he has resided for the past three years. He was a member of the V.F.W. and the American Legion. He enjoyed hunting and fishing.

Mr. Kuust is survived by his sons, Steven Kuust of Salem, and Ronald Kuust of Bennington, Vt.; daughter, Teresa Green of Vancouver, Wash.; stepchildren, Kathy Carl of Lafayette and James Stuart of Dayton; four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his wives, Velma and Freda.

Services will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 12, at Virgil T. Golden Funeral Service with interment in Hermiston Cemetery.

Visitation will be Friday, April 11, from noon to 6 p.m. at Virgil T. Golden Funeral Service.

Graveside service with military honors will be held on Monday, April 14, at 3 p.m. at the Hermiston Cemetery. Burns Mortuary of Hermiston is in charge of the local arrangements.