James Leland Macgregor

James was the 13th of 17 children, most of whom settled in the small town of Gulliver, Michigan. Lee as he was called, worked for most of his life as an Operating Engineer on jobs around the state of Michigan. During the winter months, he built and renovated houses, cut logs with his brothers and other friends, fixed appliances and bulit cabinetry. He was known for his finesse in handing big equipment, his incredible strength and for his indefatigable energy. He once loaded an entire boxcar of logs onto a truck, moved them and loaded them into the boxcar, all in one day. In December of 1942, Lee was deployed to the Ascension  Islands for the duration of World War II. On this remote island, as Sergeant, he worked with the 895th Engineers, constructed a hydroponic garden to feed the soldiers fresh produce, and organized baseball tournaments for the troops. On January 17, 1942. Lee married his long-time sweetheart, Rose Rubick, joining her family of 13 to his own huge clan. He loved horseshoes, dancing the waltz, reading history and stories of the old west. Lee was an accomplished baseball player and was at one time asked to try out for the Detroit Tigers farm team. He possesssed a wonderful baritone voice and could frequently be found singing or whistling as he worked. Lee was also an excellent poet  and won first and second prizes for workes he had published th national magazine Veterans' Voices. His favorite times were when the entire MacGregor or Rubick clan would gather for picnics or holidays. In 1979, Lee and Rose moved to Prescott Valley and began working with their two sons on a family business known as MacGregor Builders. Lee is survived by his children, Justin and Kyle MacGregor, Kathleen Thompson all of Prescott Valley, AZ and Anita Zellar of Prescott, AZ. Also survivng are brothers Duane and Warren MacGregor of Gulliver, MI; sisters Katherine Johnson of Manistique, MI and Caroline Johnson of Belleville, MI.