Elmer G. Hauge, 83, Spearfish and formerly of Sturgis, died Saturday, Jan. 13, 2007, at the Fort Meade VA Black Hills Health Care Center.

Visitation at the Kinkade Funeral Chapel in Sturgis on Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2007, with a family prayer service beginning at 7:30 p.m. Visitation will resume one hour prior to services at the Church on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2007.

Funeral services will be at 1 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 18, 2007, at Grace Lutheran Church in Sturgis, with Pastor Michael Fox officiating. Burial with military honors will be at the Black Hills National Cemetery near Sturgis.

Elmer was born July 6, 1923, at a ranch at Whitney, to Alfred and Esther (Christiansen) Hauge. He attended grade school at Hay Hill and graduated from Lemmon High School in 1941. He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1943, and served as a gunner on the USS Monterey, which was part of the 3rd fleet in the South Pacific.

Elmer was honorably discharged in November 1945. Upon returning home, he bought the family ranch and married Colleen Connery on June 8, 1945. Two children were born to the family, Cheryl (Hauge) Nehl and Brad Hauge.

Elmer served on school and election boards. He was the chairman of the building committee for Indian Creek Lutheran Church. He was a Perkins County Commissioner and was a fieldman for Lemmon Livestock Sales and later the Sturgis Sale Barn.

Elmer was a member of Grace Lutheran Church, the Bison Toastmasters, Lions Club International, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion.

Survivors include his wife, Colleen Hauge, Spearfish; one daughter, Cheryl (Mike) Nehl, Belle Fourche; one son, Brad (Mary Kay) Spearfish; three grandchildren, Jason (Jennifer) Nehl, Sundance, Wyo., Jessica (Dan) Dunn, Albany, Ore., Matt (Sara) Nehl, Lincoln, Neb.; three great-grandchildren; sisters, Irene (Lonnie) Lowe, Spearfish, Myrtle (Norbert) Ham, Piedmont, and Alice (Floyd) Lovelette, Shorewood, Minn.

His parents, two brothers, two sisters and one nephew preceded him in death.