Walt Van Gilder

Lieutenant Colonel Walt "Dutch" Van Gilder, USAF(Ret), age 66 of Watertown, died at his home near Lake Kampeska on Friday morning, October 30, 2009 after a brief illness due to cancer. His loving family was at his side. Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, November 4, 2009 at 11AM in the Cornerstone United Methodist Church at Watertown with The Reverend Roger Spahr officiating. Honorary casketbearers will the Bradley American Legion Post, nieces, nephews, sisters, all of his military friends and all family. The active casketbearers will be George "Jake" Van Gilder, Fred Van Gilder, Dean Balsiger, Ed Schaeffer and Paul & Dave Darling. Music will be provided by LeeAnn Maag as soloist. Burial with full military honors will be in the Mount Hope Cemetery at Watertown. Visitation will be held on Tuesday from 5-8 PM at the Cornerstone United Methodist Church at Watertown and will resume 1 hour preceding services in the Church. He was born at Bradley, South Dakota on July 31, 1943, the son of George and Irene (Barton) Van Gilder. Walt attended school at Bradley where he graduated from Bradley High School in 1961. During high school Walt worked for Dick Nelson at Nelson Produce. Following his schooling in Bradley he attended South Dakota State University at Brookings where he also was enrolled in the ROTC program. On March 29, 1963 he was united in marriage to his high school sweetheart, Judy Neal. They were married in Ipswich, SD. In 1965 he graduated and then in March of 1966 he began a career in the United States Air Force being assigned to Big Spring, TX for pilot training. Walt, after meeting high standards in his class, graduated with an assignment to the F-4. After various training, they settled at Mc Dill Air Force Base in Tampa, FL. Six months later he was assigned to Da Nang, Vietnam, where he flew 100 missions over the North. After that mission he returned to the States and then volunteered to go back, this time in the front seat of the F-4. He was assigned to Udorn, Thailand. Upon his return stateside, he was stationed at Woodbridge Air Force Base in England. Later, Walt was hand-picked to fly with The Aggressors at Nellis Air Force Base at Las Vegas, NV, so the family was off to Las Vegas. It was the best four years of any of his state-side tours. He flew the F-5 and of course, played the role of the bad guy (go figger!). From there he went to Command & General Staff College at Leavenworth, KS and also obtained his Masters Degree while there. Other bases he was assigned to were in Hampton, Virginia, then to Valdosta, GA where he became a Squadron Commander. After a stint back at Leavenworth, KS, he was discharged as a Lt. Colonel after completing over 21 years serving his country. In 1989 they returned to South Dakota and bought an acreage near Lake Kampeska where they built a home and started planting trees, everything from apple to cherry and many in between. Walt and his sons could hunt deer, turkey, ducks, geese and pheasants right in the back yard, his daughter even got in on that action a time or two. He thoroughly enjoyed hunting and spending time on the deck and out in the yard with family and a dog or two always at his side. Grateful for having shared in his life is his wife Judy of Watertown, daughter, Taryn Van Gilder-Pierce and husband Bill Pierce of Yankton, sons, Brett Van Gilder of Yankton, Wade (Melissa) Van Gilder and Ryan (Deidra) Van Gilder all of Watertown, 7 grandchildren, Payton and Amy Pierce, Jack Lee, Gunner and Jett Van Gilder and Kinsley and Kannon Van Gilder. He also leaves his siblings, Elva (Don Dunk) Bjerke of Watertown, George Jake (Sharon) Van Gilder of Sioux Falls, Irene (Ed) Koerner of Lennox, SD, Patricia Paulson and special friend Harlan Stevenson of Watertown, Molly (Larry) Fiksdal of East Gull Lake, MN, Fred (Pam) Van Gilder of Bradley, SD and Nancy Lynch of Eau Claire, WI. Walt is also survived by an aunt, Esther Barton of Torrington, WY. He leaves numerous nieces, nephews and a host of cousins and friends. Preceding him in death were his parents, brother, Don Van Gilder, brother-in-law, Don Paulson, nephew, Blair Van Gilder and a great nephew, Tucker G. Van Gilder. Arrangements are with the Furness Funeral Home at Clark where you can sign an on-line registry and guest book at www.furnessfuneralhome.com.