Roy L. Koan, 76 of Spearfish passed away Saturday, February 21, 2009 at Fort Meade VA Medical Center.

Visitation will be from 4-7 P.M., Thursday, February 26, 2009 at Fidler-Isburg Funeral Chapel in Spearfish.

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 A.M., Friday, February 27, 2009 at Hillsview Church of the Nazarene in Spearfish with Reverend Kelly Lovelace officiating, burial will follow at Black Hills National Cemetery with Full Military Honors provided by the Spearfish Honor Guard.
A memorial has been established to benefit Hillsview Church of the Nazarene in Spearfish.
Roy Koan was born on August 26, 1932 in Slope County, North Dakota to Fred E. and Mildred (Leitch) Koan. He lived in and around the vicinity of Bowman, North Dakota and attended schools there. He moved to Karinen, South Dakota near the North/South Dakota border in 1947 with his parents and family, where he also attended schools. He lived and worked in this area until 1952 when he was drafted into the United States Army. He received basic training in Ft. Campbell, Kentucky and served in Korea from May 1953 until June 1954, when the ceasefire was called. During that time, he fought with the Baker Company, 23 Regiment, 2nd Division above the 38 parallel in Cherowan Valley. He served his remaining army time at Camp Erwin, California being discharged in 1954 to the Army Reserves.
He returned to South Dakota to Newell where his parents had purchased a dairy farm. He worked for Petty Geophysical Engineering Company, George Stapp, and Pete Shear hauling bentonite. He met Ellen Lewis and the couple married on September 14, 1957. They lived south of Newell until May 1958, when they moved east of Rapid City, where Roy worked for Northwestern Construction Company, building Interstate-90 from Sturgis to Rapid City and for Kewitt Construction on the extension of the runways at Ellsworth Air Force Base.
The couple moved to Piedmont in 1959, and Roy worked for the South Dakota State Cement Plant until 1962, when they decided to move back to the country in Butte County. There he worked for Eugene Lewis Dairy and U & I Sugar Company. Upon the closing of the Sugar Plant, he worked for several area ranchers, including Blackie "George" Stapp, R.A. Smiley Ranch, William Swan and Earl Clarkson. The couple also operated a dairy farm south of Newell for several years before moving to the rural Nisland area in 1967.
Roy had gone to work for the South Dakota State Department of Transportation at the maintenance shop in Newell in 1966. He transferred to the D.O.T. shop in Spearfish in 1973. The Spearfish shop was closed, and he continued to work out of the Belle Fourche shop until his retirement in 1991 with 25 years of service. The family moved to Spearfish in 1974, where Roy and Ellen continue to reside.
Roy enjoyed hunting, fishing, boating, camping with family members, watching western movies, and having coffee with friends. He had belonged to the VFW Post in Newell, Nisland Lions Club, and became a lifetime member of the VFW with the Spearfish Post. His joy was his family and especially his grandchildren.

Roy is survived by his wife, Ellen Koan, Spearfish, SD, sons; Tony (Irma) Koan, Rapid City, SD, Todd (Peggy) Koan, Owatonna, MN, Troy (Anne) Koan, Aladdin, WY, daughter, Tara (David) Kuenzel, Gillette, WY, 10 grandchildren; Sarah, Grant, Jessica, Keesha, Natalie, Candice, Laken, Carissa, Desiree and Hunter, three sisters, Beverly (Paul) Price, Newton, KS, Nona (LeRoy) Sinner, Hibbing, MN and Betty (Charles) Walker, Pierre, SD, one brother, Robert (Carol) Koan, Spearfish, SD, several nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, cousins and Ellen's family.

He was preceded in death by his parents, brother, Eugene "Gene" Koan and Gene's wife Gerry.

Arrangements are under the care of Fidler-Isburg Funeral Chapels & Crematory Service of Spearfish. Online condolences may be written at www.fidler-isburgfuneralchapels.com