Lawrence Kenneth Kracht was born November 25, 1928, to Christian and Olga (Kahler) Kracht in rural Gregory County, SD, and passed March 25, 2021, at Fort Meade VA Hospital at the age of 92 years, 4 months.

Lawrence attended rural school in Gregory County and entered the US Army in 1951 serving during the Korean War and was stationed in Okinawa, Japan.

He married Belva Buryanek on July 27, 1955, in Burke, SD, and to this union 5 children were born - Marlene, Larry, Lonny, Jean and Lisa. Soon after marriage, Lawrence and Belva moved to Rapid City. After graduating from meat cutting school, he was employed at Safeway for 35 years working at stores in Rapid City, Newcastle and Deadwood.  During retirement one of the jobs, he had was a blackjack dealer at the Buffalo Saloon in Deadwood.  He was proud of the fact that he dealt some of the first blackjack hands in Deadwood when gambling was legalized November 1, 1989.

His hobbies included metal detecting, prospecting, hunting, and fishing.  He enjoyed helping family members cut up their wild game during hunting season.  He and Belva enjoyed family gatherings and family visits especially during their retirement years.  In his later years, he enjoyed sitting on his front porch in Deadwood visiting with neighbors and tourists as they made their way to Mount Moriah.

Lawrence is survived by his children, Marlene Barrett of Spearfish, Lonny (Vicki) Kracht of Boulder Canyon, Jean (Tom) Osborn of Spearfish, and Lisa Leonard of Whitewood; brother, Don Kracht of Junction City, Kansas; 11 grandchildren, Jeremy, Tyler, Jesse, Jason, Kacie, Kelsey, Kody, Michelle, Mallorie, Miranda and Jade; and 20 great-grandchildren.

Lawrence is preceded in death by his wife, Belva; son, Larry; great-granddaughter, Peyton; parents, Christian and Olga Kracht; brother, Elmer; and sister, Arlene.

The family would like to thank the care givers, doctors and nurses at Fort Meade VA Hospital for his wonderful care and would especially like to thank his neighbors Lynn, Kevin, Margaret and Tom for being his friend and watching out for our Dad.

A memorial has been established for benches in the Deadwood Gordon Park.

Visitation scheduled at 1-2 p.m. on Thursday April 1, 2021, at Kinkade Funeral Chapel in Sturgis.  Private family committal will follow at Black Hills National Cemetery with military honors. A celebration of life will be held later this summer.

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