George Edward Dick (Jack) was born March 27th, 1929 in Belle Fourche, SD 6 weeks after parents Edward and Marie (Fitzler) Dick had moved from Colorado with their 2 daughters joining an exodus from there to live in Vale, SD to work as sugar beet farmers, a recent established agricultural industry to the newly irrigated farms of the region. His early elementary education while working with his father on various farms started in Vale, then Arpan and after 5th grade a move to Nisland where he completed school graduating from the high school class of ‘47.
He then worked at the U and I Sugar Beet factory, Homestake Gold Mine and in 49 became a lineman for Belle Telephone Company-his “choice” career. He began courting Wilma Moberg from Spearfish which led to matrimony May 24, 1953.
Events led for the newlyweds to start out farming in the Arpan area but soon after he was drafted into the Army 6 months after their marriage to serve at Fort Lee, Virginia. Wilma moved to join him and live nearby in Hopewell, Virginia. Their first child Michael was born the following spring while stationed there. In 1955 he was separated from the Army after completing this service commitment and subsequently assigned into the South Dakota National Guard with honorable discharge in 1974.
Following his Army commitment the family of three returned home to work the leased Harry Payne farm in Nisland where later that year second son David was born, several years later their third son Stephen joined the fray and then following after another couple of years daughter Melanie completed the family. Having purchased his father’s farm east of Nisland in 1961 they moved and the family remained there until the farm was sold in 1972 at which time he started to work for Bentz Equipment and the moving to Belle Fourche whereupon he was soon to purchase a petroleum bulk plant which became Dick’s Oil Company and under his expertise and entrepreneurship, utilizing his grit, resilience and humor-especially his humor-this business was reputably established as a successful trusted community enterprise. He operated the business until selling in 2000 but stayed on assisting the new owners for the next several years followed by retirement. During these business years and especially entering his retirement the walleye population became very frightened and it wasn’t a fair fight, they had no chance. He was especially in his element on a boat with his best buds Roger, Chuck, Ken and others. His family suspects what is said on these boats stays on these boats so that’s all we know about that.
He was a member of the American Legion as well as the Newell Lions Club where he established his reputation of questionable sense of humor, enjoying being the groups tale-twister.
Jack and Wilma felt blessed by the addition of 3 other daughters and a son after the marriages of their children. He therefore is survived by Wilma; sons and daughters, Mike and Roxanne Dick, Dave and Cheryl Dick, Steve and Dayna Dick and Melanie and Kenny Lehmann as well as nine grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren (with 2 more in the oven). Also surviving in his immediate family is his niece, Jane (Bob) Frost and their family of Iowa and special cousins Nettie Dick of Belle Fourche, Doug Dick (Ann Easterbrooks) of Melrose, Massachusetts and Diane (Todd) Wendt of Spearfish.
Jack was preceded in death by his parents; his two sisters, Millie and Betty; a nephew, Gary and two nieces, Pamela and Candi and recently preceded by his special close cousin Bill Dick.
An open house for family and friends will be held Monday, July 22 from 4:00 to 6:00 pm at the Bowman Hall in Herrmann Park.
A Celebration of Life Service will be held Tuesday, July 23 at 11:00 am at the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Spearfish with Pastor Marveen Gentillon officiating. Lunch and fellowship will follow at the church and Inurnment will be held at 3:00 pm at Black Hills National Cemetery near Sturgis.
The funeral will be livestreamed and can be viewed on Jack’s obituary page at klinefuneralchapel.com
