Donald Wilbur Kost, 83, of Sturgis, South Dakota, died Friday, July 29, 2022, at Avantara North, Rapid City, SD.

Donald "Donnie" Wilbur Kost was born to Albert and Pearl Lillian Kost, in Sturgis, SD, on November 28, 1938. Don grew up with his siblings, Joyce, Ernie, and Dory.

Don started working at a very young age, starting in the late 1940s, with his father and brother building stock dams throughout the region. They lived in a shack on wheels, as his sister Dory described it. She also said Donnie and Ernie would sometimes sleep under the shack in sleeping bags.

Donnie didn't finish high school, as his dad needed his help working in the family construction business. He was a very intelligent man despite leaving school early.

Ernie and Don loved shooting their bb guns. On one of their shooting adventures, about 1951, one of Ernie's bb's ricocheted off a tree and hit Don in the eye, leaving him with sight in only one eye. But that never stopped him! Don would tell this story through the years as different people always asked. He also said his dad was so angry he bent the bb gun around a fence post out near the Hild & Spring Ranch. In December of 1956 Don joined the Army. He was honorably discharged in December 1957, completing one year of service. He joined the Air Force in December 1957, serving at Ellsworth Air Force Base until his honorable discharge in February of 1959.

January 9, 1957, he married Carole Ann Hirchert in the Lutheran Church, in Sturgis, SD. From this union came his daughters; Deborah Kay (Kost) Hopper (8/8/1958) and Valorie Ann (Kost) Jorgenson (11/1/1960).

In August 1966 he married Cheryl Ann Huff. From this union a little boy was born in California, on January 17, 1967; Charles Dwayne Kost.

On December 10, 1971, Don Married Sandra Kay (Weimer) Bruse. She came as a package deal with four children of her own; Robbin, Loren, Ann, and Christina. Although we weren't his he accepted us and treated us as if we were one of his own.

His love of music came quite naturally to him. His parents both played multiple instruments and Don and siblings followed their example. Don played guitar, some piano, and enjoyed singing. In the '70s he had a band that traveled throughout South Dakota.

In his spare time, he loved to play cards and board games with us kids. He could play cards for hours with his wife and parents. They played pinochle, hearts, gin rummy, and, of course, cribbage – his favorite! While traveling he liked to pass the time by reading westerns.

Don had an amazing work ethic, traveling around the world:
1971-1972 as a power contractor in Oklahoma
1972-1975 Marine Drilling Co. in Corpus Christie, TX, and Indonesia, while living in Malaysia with his family.
1975-1976 working for Santa Fe Drilling in the UAE, on the Persian Gulf
1976-1982 for Parker Drilling in Columbia; Quito, Ecuador; Lima, Peru; Algers, Algeria; and Sudan
1983-1989 For Osborne Brothers, Jack's Heavy Equipment, and S&M Construction in Gillette, WY
1989-1994 Intairdril-Sultinate of Oman
1994-1997 Jack's Heavy Equipment and
1997-1999 Pool Arabia – Saudi Arabia.

Don retired completely in the early 2000s to spend more time on his woodworking projects. He made and sold an assortment of shelves, tables, frames, and knick-knack holders.

In 2011, after living alone since Sandy passed, he moved to an apartment in Rapid City, to be closer to his family. In 2021 he moved to Sturgis to spend his last year where he grew up.

Don was preceded in death by his wife, Sandy; an infant sister, Gladys; parents, Albert and Lillian Kost; sister, Joyce Simons; brother-in-law, Wayne Simons; daughters, Deborah Kay Hopper, Valorie Ann Jorgenson, Christina Harter, and Robbin Spring.

He is survived by his brother, Ernerst (Pam) Kost; sister, Dory (Keith) McGee; children, Charles Dwayne Kost, Loren (Donna) Bruse, Ann (Jerome) Klein; grandchildren, Mary Kost, Kelly, Kasey, Kayla, Kerry, Sierra, Shelbi, Jennie, Tyler, Cassandra, and Kade. He will also be missed by a passel of great grandchildren and a multitude of nieces, nephews, and great nieces and nephews.

A graveside service, with military honors, will be held Friday, August 19, 2022, 9:00 a.m., at Black Hills National Cemetery.