Walter Weichert

Funeral services for Walter Weichert, age 89, of Belle Fourche, SD, formerly of Fox Ridge and Maurine, SD, were held Tuesday, August 25, 2020, at the Bethel Lutheran Church in Faith, SD.  Burial with full military honors  followed at the Faith City Cemetery.  

On Thursday, August 20, 2020, Walter Paul Weichert, a long time resident of Fox Ridge and Maurine, SD, passed away at the age of 89 at the Rolling Hills Healthcare Nursing Home in Belle Fourche, SD, from declining health.

Walter was born to William “Bill” G. and Marian (Haines) Weichert on August 26, 1930, in Faith, SD.  He grew up on the ranch with his brother Wendell helping the folks raise Hereford cows and Registered Appaloosa and Paint Horses. He went to country grade school and graduated from Faith High School in 1949.  In January of 1952 he was drafted into the US Army where he took basic training in Kentucky and expected to go to Korea but was sent instead to the area of Trieste, Italy to keep Yugoslavia and Italy apart. He was discharged in 1954 and came back home to help his dad with Weichert Well Drilling and the ranch work.

He met Dorothy Hardyk, a Faith teacher from Iowa and married her on November 20, 1960 and to this union three children were born. They continued to live on the ranch and drill wells until 1966 when he started working on road construction with Art Schimkat Construction Company of Pierre and did also did work in North Dakota and Wyoming. In 1971 he came back to the ranch to help after his dad had a heart attack and purchased the well drill and started doing his own drilling and running the ranch.

He loved to hunt fish and spend time with their grandkids at rally field days, track meets or up at Rollag, MN to the WMSTR. After selling the ranch they retired to Belle Fourche where they were able to enjoy the Black Hills, going up Spearfish Canyon and to Devil’s Tower numerous times throughout the seasons.  He also loved to ride his John Deere tractors at the Black Hills Steam and Gas Show.

He was a lifelong member of Bethel Lutheran Church where he was a Trustee for years.  He was also a lifelong member of the American Legion in Faith branch #106 and Faith Post 5751 VFW.  Walter also served on the Faith School Board from 1979 through 1991.

Survivors include his wife of 59 years, Dorothy, Belle Fourche, SD; son, Paul Weichert, Sioux Falls, SD; daughters, Darlene (Paul) Rolf, McIntosh, MN, and Linda (Robin) Kilness, Marcus, SD; eight grandkids, Daniel (Kayla) Rolf of Bagley, Joshua Rolf of Bagley and Hanna Rolf of McIntosh, all in MN, Philip Kilness, Marcus, SD, Diane (Mac) Cadwell, Rapid City, SD, Jene (Dalton) Harrison, Hermosa, SD, Robin Linn Kilness and Billie Jo Kilness both of Marcus, SD; three great-grandkids, Kensley Rolf, Lorrain Harrison and Baby Harrison; brother, Wendell Weichert, Rapid City, SD; a nephew, and numerous cousins and close friends.

Walter was preceded in death by his parents, Bill and Marian Weichert; his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Anton and Hattie Hardyk; and sister-in-law, Honour Weichert.