Joseph J. Engelhardt

RAPID CITY - Joseph John Engelhardt, 82, Rapid City, died Monday, May 2, 2011, at Rapid City Regional Auxiliary Hospice House after a brief illness.  

He was born May 23, 1928, to Lorenz and Catherine (Glatt) Engelhardt at their farm west of Venturia, N.D. He attended rural grade school near his home and attended his freshman year at Zeeland then moved with his parents to Aberdeen, S.D., and graduated from Aberdeen Central High School in 1947. He also attended Gale Institute in Minneapolis, learning railroad telegraph and railroad accounting.

He married Ida Schatz on Aug. 30, 1948, at St. Andrew's Catholic Church in Zeeland. He started to work for the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad as agent telegrapher in 1948 and worked as a Depot Agent for over 10 years in Eastern South Dakota, Western Minnesota and Iowa. When jobs were getting scarce at the railroad, he went to school in Des Moines, Iowa, to learn IBM Accounting and control panel wiring for one semester. With this training, he was able to get a job in the State Auditor's office in Pierre, and moved his family there. After two years he transferred to the State Welfare Department.

Joe and Ida purchased the Zesto Shop in Pierre in 1962. Joe worked there evenings and weekends and built a good business. A few years later he quit working for the State and purchased a fast-food restaurant in Fort Pierre and named it Joe's Drive-In. They ran both businesses for several years. They sold the Zesto Shop so they could spend all their time at the Drive-In. They sold the Drive-In in the fall of 1973, and moved to Rapid City and purchased the Avanti Motel in 1974. They operated the motel until they sold it in June of 1978. The following year they started J & I Vending and Catering Company. They had the vending machines and catered at SCI for 13 years. They sold that business and retired in 1988.

Joe and Ida enjoyed traveling and bus tours for the next 12 years. They always enjoyed visiting their children and grandchildren. Joe was a member of St. Therese Catholic Church and the Third and Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus.

He is survived by his wife, Ida; three sons, Carroll (Carol Ann) of Sioux Falls, Joseph (Kristine) of Rapid City, and Michael (Charlotte) of Apple Valley, Minn.; six daughters, Yvonne (Steve Kane) Girard of Marshall, Minn., Cabrini (Al) Arendt of Pierre, Corinne (Mark) Welters of Oregon City, Ore., Diane (David) Tyson of Aurora, Colo., and Renee (Keith) Koletzky and Lynda (David) Pfeifle, both of Sioux Falls; 16 grandchildren; two stepgrandchildren; two great-grandchildren; three stepgreat-grandchildren; and a sister, Catherine Seiler, Aberdeen.

Joe was preceded in death by his parents, seven brothers and a sister.

Visitation will be from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., with 7 p.m. Rosary and Vigil services today at St. Therese Catholic Church.

Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 10 a.m. Thursday, May 5, at St. Therese Catholic Church with the Rev. Bill Zandri presiding.

Interment will be at Mount Calvary Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorials have been established to Rapid City Regional Hospice House or 'We Walk By Faith' Project for Terra Sancta Development. PO Box 678, Rapid City, SD, 57709.

Osheim & Schmidt Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

His online guestbook is available to sign at www.osheimschmidt.com.