Russell L. Wyckoff (2 March 1925 – 3 September 2004) was an American politician. Wyckoff was born near Urbana, Iowa, where his family owned a farm, on 2 March 1925. He graduated from high school in 1942 and enlisted in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

. He saw action with Company L of the 87th Infantry Division in the

Battle of the Bulge The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive or Unternehmen Die Wacht am Rhein, Wacht am Rhein, was the last major German Offensive (military), offensive Military campaign, campaign on the Western Front (World War II), Western ...

. During his military service, Wyckoff was awarded the Bronze Star and the

Combat Infantryman Badge The Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB) is a United States Army military decoration. The badge is awarded to infantrymen and Special Forces (United States Army), Special Forces soldiers in the rank of Colonel (United States), colonel and below, wh ...

. He was discharged in 1945 with the rank of staff sergeant. Wyckoff subsequently returned to farming, and married Margie Ploeger in 1946. The couple raised four sons and lived in Vinton. During the 1950s, Wyckoff operated a plumbing and heating business. Wyckoff's political career included a five-year stint on the Urbana Consolidated School Board, and one term on the Benton County Board of Supervisors. He won election to the

Iowa House of Representatives The Iowa House of Representatives is the lower house of the Iowa General Assembly, the upper house being the Iowa Senate. There are 100 seats in the Iowa House of Representatives, representing 100 single-member districts across the state, formed ...

for the first time in 1970, and held the District 42 seat as a Democrat for two years. Wyckoff was elected thrice thereafter to represent District 31, stepping down at the end of his fourth consecutive term in 1979. He died on 3 September 2004, aged 79. Margie Wyckoff died in 2013.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wyckoff, Russell Farmers from Iowa United States Army personnel of World War II Democratic Party members of the Iowa House of Representatives 1925 births 2004 deaths American plumbers People from Vinton, Iowa School board members in Iowa County supervisors in Iowa Military personnel from Iowa 20th-century members of the Iowa General Assembly