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Herman George Wilkins

4/22/1939 - 9/1/2015

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Obituary For Herman George Wilkins

Herman G. Wilkins, 76, Rapid City, died Tuesday, September 1, 2015 at home with Hospice and his family. He was born April 22, 1939 in Wasta, to George and Margaret Wilkins. Herman spent his early school years as a child moving from several towns and states, while his parents looked for work. He worked from a very young age helping his parents and his family. In 1953, Herman met Joann Stevens and at the age of 15, they were married. Recently, they celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. In the same year he started working for the City of Rapid City at Rapid City Regional Airport where he helped give out commodities and then the sanitation department which he worked for 44 years and 1 month. He was an extremely hard working, proud man, working extra jobs to support his family. Herman found his job very rewarding. Meeting and helping people with a smile and always a joke or two. Always the friendly and funny garbage man. Because of health problems he had to retire before he was ready. Herman always enjoyed his three daughters. He rode bikes with them, played ball and keeping them busy with something fun. He also taught his girls the value of hard work and respecting others, helping where needed. He did most of this through example. Ice skating was taught at a very early age, as soon as they could fit into skates. He taught them how to fish and hunt and the safety required when doing either. His favorite times were camping trips, always by a lake. We all enjoyed music, dancing, bowling, watching movies together, it did not matter what we did, as long as it was together. He will miss his Yankees, the Bears and the Lakers, his favorite teams. He will be missed but never forgotten. His favorite poem was the ‘Fisherman’s Prayer’: I pray that I may live to fish until my dying day. And when it comes to my last cast, I then most humbly pray; when in the Lord’s great landing net and peacefully asleep; that in his mercy I be judged-----“Big Enough To Keep” Herman is survived by his wife Joann, 3 daughters, Glennie Klubek (Joe); Connie Jonas (Galin) and Susan Graham (Ed); 5 grandchildren, J.J. Rosa (Sara), Rapid City; Dustin Jonas (Annie), Dallas, TX; Aaron and Virginia Jonas, Rapid City; Sally Graham (Wayne Winkler), Englewood, CO and Bobby Wipf and Brian, Rapid City; 8 great grandchildren, Alex Rosa, Will and Silas Jonas; Aryonna, Aleesha and David Wipf and Dominik and Caleb, Englewood, CO. He is also survived by 3 brothers, Leonard, Richard and Dennis and 4 sisters, Sharon, Margaret, Norma and Cindy. He was preceded in death by Grandma Bloom, his parents, George and Margaret and his life long friend Lovie Thompson.

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