John was born November 6, 1939, at Culver City, CA, to John and Wilma (Miner) Rhynard. At the age of two they moved to Creighton, SD. He attended grade school at Squaw Creek School near Creighton. He graduated from Quinn High School in 1957. He attended one year of college at Black Hills State in Spearfish, and then taught at a rural school for the 1961-62 school year. He was drafted and served in the United States Army. Most of his time in the service was stationed in Alaska. In March of 1965, he was honorably discharged.
In 1966 he went to Cheyenne, WY, where he worked for a construction company. He married Tammi Wilkinson. They moved back to the family ranch near Creighton in 1968. John worked for Pennington County for several years. He was the highway foreman until they moved to the ranch at Mud Butte in 1974. Tammi died in November of 1996.
John married Rene Zwetzig in 1997. The couple lived on the ranch until 2003. Eventually they moved to Newell in 2007.
To say John was an avid Newell Irrigators Basketball fan is an understatement. Basketball was his favorite sport. He also enjoyed rodeo. John was a member of the Newell Evangelical Church. He was also a member of the Masonic Lodge and the Shriners.
John Duane Rhynard, 80, Newell, died Thursday, October 22, 2020, at the Wyoming Medical Center in Casper, WY.
Survivors include his wife, Rene; children, Kerri (George) Johnson, Robert (Debra) Meyer, Dena Simmons, Troy (Shannon) Zwetzig, Dawn (Ross) Hunter; sisters, Patricia (Gene) Buck, Marcia Gordon, Anita Beard, Judith Stafford; brother, Zane (Norma) Rhynard; 8 grandchildren, 8 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-granddaughter.
He was preceded in death by his parents; first wife, Tammi; and two brothers in law.
Visitation will be 5 until 7 p.m. on Thursday at the Kinkade Funeral Chapel in Sturgis.
Committal services will be private family with military honors at the Black Hills National Cemetery.
Memorials have been established to the Newell Irrigators Boys and Girls Basketball Teams and to the Newell Evangelical Church.

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