George J. "Jug" Rankin, 88 of Spearfish, South Dakota died Saturday, October 10, 2015 at Hospice House in Rapid City, South Dakota.

Funeral services will be at 9:30am, Friday, October 16, 2015 at the United Methodist Church in Spearfish. Burial with military honors will take place at Black Hills National Cemetery near Sturgis, South Dakota.

It would be difficult to find someone who represented what we call the greatest generation in a more complete manner than our father, George J. Rankin. George will be remembered as a strong, willful, caring, generous and challenging family man who gave everything yet never asked for anything. George was born January 11, 1927 in Yankton, South Dakota to George M. and Gladys E. (Palmer) Rankin.

When he was two years old the family moved to a house on the Montana/North Dakota state line, where his father was the section foreman on the Milwaukee Rail Road, it was there the family rented land and began accumulating cattle. The Great Depression and the Dirty '30s were just settling in.

George started his education at the Fertile Prairie country school in Montana, a typical one room school in Eastern Montana. Life was good in the '30s, although the family had little, everyone else was in the same boat so they considered themselves fortunate. There was a strong conviction among everyone that through hard work and perseverance you would prevail, that was the philosophy that guided George throughout his life. The railroad took the family to Marmarth, North Dakota where they purchased a ranch on Beaver Creek.

The 2nd World War was raging when George joined the United States Navy in his senior year of high school, he graduated from Marmarth High School while in basic training at Virginia, and he was represented at graduation by an empty chair with his cap and gown draped over the back. Out of the Navy and after a two week courtship, George and Dolores K. Fisher were married on November 24, 1948 in Ekalaka, Montana, a marriage to last 63 years. Like his father, George went to work for the Milwaukee Rail Road as a depot agent and he and his partner Dolores began adding land to the ranch on Beaver Creek. George held two full time jobs most of his life.

Four sons were born, raised, educated and taught the values and work ethics of their parents and grandparents. The railroad was a large part of George's life. As a depot agent he mastered the lost art of telegraphy and spent 40 years sending telegraph messages up and down the line. George had many close friends on the Milwaukee all the way from Montevideo, Minnesota to Harlowton, Montana. George and Dolores retired in 1988 and moved to Dolores's hometown, Spearfish. They purchased a home on Hills View Drive, the same street Dolores lived on while in high school. They lived a life of contentment and peace there. The couple moved to Rapid City in 2010 to be closer to family, Dolores passed away in 2011.

Through the years it was never himself he put first, the incredible effort, pain, heartache, the joy of success and a life well lived was for the benefit of his family; wife, sons, parents and later grandchildren and still later great-grandchildren. Our patriarch passed away in Rapid City, he can never be replaced and will always be missed. So much love!

Those before George would included his wife, Dolores, his parents, George M. and Gladys Rankin, a brother, William, a grandson, Thomas and George's in-laws, Ray and Martha Fisher.

Those who remain are his sons; George Q. (Gloria) Rankin of Rapid City, SD, Gary (Sue) Rankin of Larimore, ND, Don (Denise) Rankin of Bay City, MI and Jim Rankin of Belle Fourche, SD, good friend and brother-in-law, Hope Fisher, one sister, Patricia Peters, grandchildren; Katherine, Tawna, Emily, Chris, Becky, William, Pam, Erin, Audrey and Julia, and great-grandchildren; Jade, Cameron, Amber, Eli and Alora with one more on the way.

Online condolences may be written at www.fidler-isburgfuneralchapels.com