John William Hipps Jr., 63, Rapid City, died Wednesday, July 7, 2010 at the Ft. Meade VA Hospital.

Visitation will be noon until 9 p.m. at the Kinkade Funeral Chapel on Monday.

Services will be 2 p.m., Tuesday, July 13, 2010 at the Kinkade Funeral Chapel in Sturgis with Pastor Duane Grenz officiating. Burial with military honors by the Sturgis Veteran's Honor Guard follows at the Black Hills National Cemetery near Sturgis.

John was born July 3, 1947 at Hickory, North Carolina to John William Sr. and Thelma (Huskins) Hipps.

After graduating from High School he joined the US Air Force and served his country honorably in Germany.

He married Frances "Linda" Maria Skinner at Sturgis.

After returning to Rapid City he worked as a meat cutter for Sturgis Meat Service. He joined the staff at Lynn's County Market as a meat cutter and was transferred to Faith, SD. John and Linda owned and operated the Faith Independent Newspaper until 1997. They returned to Sturgis and John was employed as a meat cutter at BJ's Country Store in Black Hawk until his retirement in 2002.

John enjoyed fishing and the outdoors.

Survivors include his daughter, Jana Hipps, Rapid City; his special friend Carol Geyer, Rapid City; one sister Hippy Johnson, Hickory, NC.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, and one brother.