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 Vern L. Anthony
RAPID CITY | Vern L. Anthony, 88, died Saturday, Dec. 8, 2012, in Rapid City.
Vern was born May 2, 1924, in Sidney, NE, the eldest of three children of Marvin and Ruth Anthony. He graduated from the University of Nebraska with a degree in Art and Journalism and studied commercial art at the Chicago Institute of Art. He became a sports writer and cartoonist spending most of his productive years creating and selling print advertising. Vern served in both the U.S. Army, 66th Division, during World War II and in the Korean War. On June 7, 1947 he married Lee Anthony, his wife of 65 years. They lived in Sidney until moving to Rapid City in 1960.
Vern was an avid sports fan coaching his son Doug's little league baseball team and as a booster for daughter Barbara's swim team. He continued his zest for track and field by competing in the Rapid City, South Dakota State and national Senior Olympics for 25 years. No longer able to run, he focused on swimming, shot put and discus. When asked last year, how many people were competing in his age group of 85-90 years, he said, "two of us, and I always get a medal." He and Lee were strong supporters of community youth activities through the United Methodist Church, the Morning Optimist Club, YMCA, and the Rapid City swim and tennis programs. Vern was a member of the Izaak Walton League, wine club and the Chamber of Commerce.
His passion was the outdoors and he never missed an opportunity for a good fishing trip, the annual opening weekend of pheasant hunting, spring turkeys, or the fall deer season. When he turned 88 and had to cut back on these outdoor sports, he said he thought his retirement would be spent fishing and hunting. So, what did he think he was doing all these years?
Survivors include his wife, Lee of Rapid City; daughter, Susan Anthony and husband Georg Neumann of Washington, DC; brother, Richard Anthony of Phoenix; grandchildren, Leah Merchant (Eric) of Helena, MT, Matt Anthony and Lori Finck of Billings, MT, and Clare Dreyer, Anna Reardon (Brian) of Bozeman MT; and three great-grandchildren, Alexa Finck and Connor Finck of Billings, and Aila Merchant of Helena; and many other loving family members and friends.
Vern was preceded in death by his son, Douglas Anthony; and daughter, Barbara Anthony.
Visitation will be from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 13, at Osheim & Schmidt Funeral Home.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Dec. 14, at the First United Methodist Church with the Rev. Doug Diehl officiating. Burial, with military honors rendered by Rushmore VFW Post 1273 and the South Dakota Army Reserve National Guard, will be at 1:30 p.m. at Black Hills National Cemetery near Sturgis.
Memorials may be directed to the Rapid City Morning Optimist Club, PO Box 1094, Rapid City, SD 57709, to support youth activities in Rapid City.
His online guestbook is available at www.osheimschmidt.com.
Published in Rapid City Journal on December 12, 2012
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