Gene A. McCormick, 89

Gene Arthur McCormick was born August 7, 1933 at his Grandpa and Grandma Bingham’s place near Springview. He attended eight years at Jackson School, one mile from home and walked to school.

He attended high school in Winner, SD and graduated in 1952. After graduation, he joined the Navy in December of 1952. He spent 90 days at Camp Elliott in San Diego for boot camp and then went to Norfolk, VA where he was assigned to the USS Taconic. During this assignment, Gene went to Great Lakes, VA to electrician school for three months before returning back to the ship. Once they were at sea, they went to Naples, Italy to handle communications for the Navy while building a new air base. While on one cruise, lasting a year, they hit 61 ports throughout the Atlantic and Mediterranean seas. Gene was discharged in 1956, serving our country for three years, 11 months and six days.

After his discharge, Gene returned to work for his parents. It was then that he met and married Janice Brown on May 3, 1958. He worked for his parents another year before purchasing the old Delah Lamprecht place south of his parent’s place. They started their family there and welcomed two sons, Brad and Jim.

When it came time to retire, they sold the ranch and moved to Valentine where Gene found things to keep him busy. He plowed snow for Cherry County Road Department, worked for Nebraska Propane and worked on road construction in Sioux Falls, SD.

When he came home from construction, he and Brad formed McCormick and Company selling electric fence supplies and building fences. McCormick and Company built all the buffalo fencing for Ted Turner on the Spike Box Ranch. Jim joined them and they started custom harvesting until it was time to slow down and Gene retired for good.

Gene is survived by his sons, Brad (Charlene) McCormick and Jim (Tracy) McCormick; grandsons, Dustin (Alexis Thrasher) Mc-Cormick and Miles (Nichole Lurz) McCormick; and brother, Melvin McCormick; a host of nieces and nephews.

He is proceeded in death by his wife, Janice; brothers, Keith and Charles; and parents, Charles and Melva.

Holmes Funeral was entrusted with the arrangements.