Buster Charles Henry Vopat, 88 of Spearfish, passed away on Monday, July 22, 2013 at Spearfish Regional Hospital.

Buster was born on March 4, 1925 in Deadwood, SD to Ed and Beulah (Torrence) Vopat. He grew up in Spearfish attending Spearfish High School graduating in 1943.
His father ran a truck farm and he worked on the farm until he went in the U.S. Navy in 1945. In August of 1945, he married Hazel Ruth Monserud in Wellington, KS before he shipped overseas on board the aircraft carrier USS Boxer. After World War II, he attended classes at Black Hills Teachers College to become a teacher, but a farm accident changed his career path to working for the United States Post Office. He worked several positions in the post office until he became the rural route carrier. He carried the rural route until his retirement in 1982. He continued to farm in Spearfish Valley growing vegetables, especially sweet corn, until recent years.

He served several terms on the Spearfish Board of Education, and on the Associated School Boards of South Dakota, the Evans Tonn Ditch Company and was also Ditch Walker for a time.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Hazel, in 1998, his parents, two sisters, Edna and Hazel, and a brother, Earl. He is survived by his sons, Edward (Linda) Bennett, CO, Sam (Constance) Las Vegas NV, and Steve (Cheryl) Wrenshall, MN; grandsons, Anthony, Joshua, Zachary, Jonathan, and Matthew; granddaughters, Fern and Korene; and great-grandsons Jason, Jordan, Jared, and Ethan.

Memorial services will be at 10:30 am on August 1, 2013 at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Spearfish. Inurnment will be at 1:00 pm at the National Cemetery. A memorial has been established to the Shriner's Burns Centers.

Arrangements are under the care of Fidler-Isburg Funeral Chapels and Crematory Service of Spearfish.