Carl John Wahl was born July 2, 1938, in Quinn, SD, to John George and Ella Marie (Johannesen) Wahl. He grew up on the family ranch west of Union Center and graduated from Sturgis High School in 1955. He attended the Ag Program at SDSU. Later, he joined the Air Force, which took him many places, including Guam and Japan.
In 1963, he married Ursula Seidel and later adopted Vivien Bastian. Together, they had 3 additional children, Candy, Elizabeth, and Carl, Jr.
Carl loved working and living on the ranch. He said the hayfield was his church. He was extremely proud of the quality of the cattle that he worked with his father to create. The cattle were the hardest thing to let go of when he retired. He loved rodeos and enjoyed the Black Hills Stock Show.  Carl was invested in the community and liked to stay involved. He was a member of the Meade 46-1 School Board for 36 years, as the kids' education was very important to him. Additionally, he was a member of the Olive Branch #47 for 50 years, and was one of the founding members of The Rushmore German Club, holding a variety of board positions. He always looked forward to the trips the German Club took, especially to Denver and New Ulm, and enjoyed volunteering during the Sommerfest.
Carl was well-known for his jokes and his storytelling. He once raced another car down Boulder Canyon. He would shut the lights off before the curves to see if there were lights from an oncoming car. His record was 8 minutes. During the Rally, he loved checking IDs at the door of the Fireside, a job that provided him with many entertaining stories.
Above everything, Carl was a kind man who would always help out a neighbor. You never saw him without a smile on his face. He cherished his friends and family, which is why he loved holidays and celebrations and watching the little ones running around. He spent many Thanksgiving holidays in Washington with Elizabeth and her family. In his spare time, he could be found going to Elk Creek on Sunday afternoons to dance to The Wilt Brothers, camping with his friends, or travelling as often as possible, usually to Florida, Mexico, and Germany.
Carl John Wahl, 80, of Sturgis, passed away on Monday, March 4, 2019, at Rapid City Regional Hospital.
He is survived by his daughters, Candy Bieber of Sturgis, and Elizabeth "Lisa" (Paul) Custis of McCleary, WA; his son, Carl (Jenifer) Wahl, Jr. of Houghton Lake, MI; brother, Jim (Vicky) Wahl of Fulton; sister, Kathy (Jim) Shaw of White Owl; grandchildren, Travis, Ryan, Matthew, Nathan, Kelly, Sara, Renee, Megan, Connor, Marley, Jack, Valerie, Ivan, Delilah, Amore' and Earl; and several great-grandchildren.
Carl was preceded in death by his parents, John and Ella Wahl; maternal grandparents, Ehard and Addora Johannesen; paternal grandparents, Carl and Elise Wahl; his daughter, Vivien Pritchard; and several aunts and uncles.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Sturgis FFA, local projects supported by Olive Branch #47, and Rushmore German Club.
Visitation will be held from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Sunday, March 10, 2019, at Kinkade Funeral Chapel in Sturgis.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Monday, March 11, 2019, at First Presbyterian Church in Sturgis with Pastor Harold Delbridge officiating. Burial will follow at Bear Butte Cemetery.

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