Clifford Hardacre, 90, passed away Friday, April 22, 2011 at the Fort Meade VA Medical Center.

Visitation will be Tuesday, April 26, 2011 from 9:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. at Kinkade Funeral Chapel in Sturgis with a rosary service beginning at 7:00 p.m.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, April 27, 2011 at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church with Father Arnold Kari officiating. Burial with military honors provided by the Sturgis Honor Guard will follow at Black Hills National Cemetery.

Clifford was born March 31, 1921 on the family farm near Witten, SD. He grew up and spent many wonderful childhood years there. He then joined the military on December 16, 1942 and served in the U.S. Army during World War II until his honorable discharge on December 15, 1945. He served mainly in the western Pacific and attained the rank of Sargent.

After his service in the military he was employed at Fort Meade where he worked in the garage until his retirement. During part of his life he also worked at the Phillips 66 gas station and later hauled fuel for Moyle Petroleum for a number of years.

Cliff raised a small herd of cattle for many years at his home in Boulder Canyon. He would haul them to the farm by Witten for the summer. He always had one horse and sometimes more. Being a lover of animals he also had many dogs and cats through the years.

Cliff and Marilou enjoyed many Saturday night dances at the VFW in Sturgis. They also took many trips together, including to California, Oregon, Branson, Missouri, the East Coast and an Alaskan cruise in 2005.

He was a member of the St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Sturgis and attended mass regularly until December 2009 when his health worsened. In November 2010 he and Marilou moved to Rapid City.

Survivors include his lifetime partner, Marilou Yarber; two daughters, Lois Hardacre (Ed Trigg) of Rapid City and Jan (Walt) Cox of Whitewood; four grandchildren, Terry Hoey (fiancee Clovia Snyder) of Rapid City, Kerry Hardacre (Carson Stiles) of Billings, MT, George (Chris) Cox of Whitewood, and Denise (Paul) Faiman of Rapid City; and four great-grandchildren, Shea Hardacre-Stiles, Alec Faiman, and Bailey and Kody Cox; and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by both parents; a brother, Ralph in childhood; and two sisters, Hazel Hardacre and Grace Bauld.

Memorials have been established to the Hospice of the Hills and the Sturgis or Rapid City Animal Shelters.

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