Harry Wickard, 86, Rapid City, died at Ft. Meade VA Medical Center near Sturgis, SD, on Tuesday, November 24, 2009.

He was born May 30, 1923, at Luzon in Custer County, SD. He attended schools in Custer and Keystone. After high school, he went to work for Swander's Bakery delivering bread to the Southern hills area, Wall, and to small towns east.

Harry spent 2 years and 3 months in the Navy during WWII as a gunner on a tanker. He served in both the Pacific and European theatre. He made 20 trips through the Panama Canal carrying high Octane fuel to the European theatre. When he returned, he went back to work for Swander's Bakery.

He married Janis Hamm on 05/29/47. He then went to work for Pennington County and plowed county roads out after the 1949 blizzard. In 1951, he started haying and expanded on this until selling out in May 1993, working in the winter months at Eddies Tire and Glass, Caterpillar, and building roads in the Black Hills.

Harry and Janis lived in Newell, SD, for 20 years. In 1990, Harry and Janis moved to Rapid City and Harry started going to the Canyon Lake Senior Citizens Center. He became very involved with the center and spent 5 days a week all day long. Harry and Janis took charge of the Saturday night dances and Monday pinochle for years. He loved the center and spent many happy hours there.

In December of 1992, he underwent quadruple bypass surgery.

Harry always referred to his family as having a full house with three jacks and two queens.

Survivors include his wife of 62 years, Janis; Dan Wickard and wife, Kathy, of Knoxville, TN; Gerald Wickard and wife, Rodella, of Pullman, WA; Bruce Wickard and wife, Suzanne, of Pullman, WA; Cheryl and husband, Jeff Harlow, of Gig Harbor, WA; Jo Ellen and husband, Larry Schuelke, of Mud Butte, SD; and ten Grandchildren.

We have lost another member of the greatest generation.

A memorial has been established to the Canyon Lake Senior Center in Rapid City.

Visitation will be one hour prior to services at the Senior Center on Saturday.

Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday, November 28, 2009 at the Canyon Lake Senior Center in Rapid City. Burial will be 11:00 a.m. Monday, November 30, 2009 at the Black Hills National Cemetery near Sturgis. Friends may gather at the Kinkade Funeral Chapel prior to leaving for the cemetery on Monday.