Max Pannetier, 91, Black Hawk, died Friday, March 27, 2009 at the Fort Meade VA Hospital.

Visitation will be 8 a.m. to time of services at the Kinkade Funeral Chapel in Sturgis on Thursday.

Funeral services will be 1 p.m. Thursday at the Kinkade Funeral Chapel in Sturgis.

Burial with military honors follows at the Mt. Calvary Cemetery in Rapid City.

Max was born December 3, 1917 at Chicago, IL, to Louis and Philomene (Galletto) Pannetier. He attended school through the 8th grade.

On July 22, 1941 he joined the US Army at Fort Sheridan, IL. He shipped overseas in 1943. He served his country in France in 1944., fighting in the front lines into Germany, where he was involved in the liberation of three camps. Max was honorably discharged at Camp McCoy, WI in 1945. He returned to Chicago where he picked up his 38 Ford and left for Rapid City, SD where his mother was living. He worked as a mechanic at the Ford garage.

Max operated Club Greenacres. He met Pansy Francisco and the two were married on January 7, 1947 at Terry, MT.

After the Club was sold, Max purchased land near Black Hawk and built a home for his family. He worked as an auto mechanic at the Ford garage in Rapid City, and later on heavy equipment for large construction firms. He worked on both Pactola, and Glendo reservoirs, Interstate 90 from Rapid City to Gillette, on the runways for Ellsworth Air Force Base, and on numerous Minute Man missile sites in the area.

In 1958 Max tried ranching. He started with a cow and calf. They moved to southeastern Montana, near Broadus, in May of 1960. By 1970 Max had to give up full scale ranching due to health concerns. He returned to South Dakota where he married Margaret Kirby in 1972. They were later divorced. He continued to run a small herd on his land near Piedmont. He continued to live in the original house he built and remodeled over the years.

He never had any intention of retiring. He ran his cows until 2005, when at the age of 87, he was forced to give up taking care of his cows due to failing health.

Max was a strong believer in education. He helped all of his children achieve degrees in higher education. Therefore, the family suggests memorials to an educational scholarship of the donor's choice or a local veteran's organization.

Survivors include his son, Dr. Les Pannetier, DVM, Helena, MT; daughters, Linda (John) Buus Aloisio, Moorcroft, WY, and Emilie Rostad, Cheyenne, WY; step daughter, Wanda Nicholson, Sioux Falls, SD; one sister, Theresa Perisic, Rapid City; five grandsons; and three great grandsons.

He was preceded in death by his sister Emily Hartmann of Cincinnati, OH.