Heber residents mourn 'old-timer'

HEBER CITY — Residents are mourning the loss of a businessman, civic contributor and religious leader who was killed in a traffic accident Thursday while serving as president of the Uganda Kampala Mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

"We're gonna miss him," said Heber business owner Ren Provost, who grew up with President Ralph L. Duke. "He'll leave a big hole in the community."

President Duke, 57, and his wife, Kim, were returning from the Entebbe Airport, presumably to the mission office, around 6:30 a.m. when the accident occurred, according to Elder Chris Fee, executive secretary in the LDS Church's Africa Southeast Area office.

In an interview, Fee said the couple had just taken four missionaries to the airport � two of whom had finished mission and two others who were leaving to serve missions elsewhere.

Sister Duke was injured but has been treated and released from a hospital, Elder Fee said. There were no other passengers in the Dukes' vehicle at the time of the accident, he said.

Details of what caused the accident were not immediately available.

"We pray the spirit of the Lord will be with Sister Duke, her family, friends and the missionaries in the Uganda Kampala Mission during this difficult time," church spokesman Scott Trotter said.

Word of the accident spread quickly throughout the city of Heber, where the Dukes had been lifelong residents.

"It's a shock for everybody," said Steve Provost, assistant store director of the Smith's grocery store. "He's one of the old-timers."

A grocer and rancher by trade, President Duke grew up on a farm in Heber and worked in local grocery stores before buying a failing grocery store and turning it into Duke's IGA — one of the most successful businesses in town, residents said.

Steve Provost worked with President Duke at his IGA store before it was sold to Smith's about 10 years ago.

"He always had time for you," said life-long resident Vida Applegate, who spent many of her 30 years in the grocery business working with President Duke. "He was interested in what you were doing.

"He had great integrity," she continued. "He was honest with those he knew and associated with."

Ren Provost said he got to know President Duke best while the two served with Mike Kohler as Wasatch County commissioners from 1999 to 2003.

"He was honest and he told it like it was," he said during an interview in the office of his Wasatch Auto Supply store on Main Street. "He spoke his opinion. I'll miss Ralph."

Kohler said President Duke enjoyed working on the community's master plan and helping to ensure Heber would be carefully taken care of as it grew.