Dolores Katherine Rankin

SPEARFISH, S.D. - On Friday, Sept. 30, 2011, the Black Hills lost a daughter. Dolores Katherine Rankin was born June 24, 1928, to Ray Fisher and Martha (Knight) Fisher. Dolores's roots in the Black Hills go back to the days of Wild Bill Hickok. Her great-grandfather James Madison Gardner was a traveling Methodist minister who established and built churches in local communities. The ones in Harding and Piedmont are still in use today. Dolores's great-great-uncle, Captain C.V. Gardner, built the first wooden structure in Deadwood, S.D., established the town's first newspaper, owned a flour mill in Spearfish and brought Preacher Smith to the Black Hills on a bull train he operated between Cheyenne and Deadwood.

All who knew Dolores would agree that she walked through life with uncommon grace, beauty and dignity.

Dolores was born in Deadwood and grew up in the town of Trojan where her father Ray worked in the gold mines. Trojan was just over the hill from Terry Peak. As a young girl she and her brothers and sister played in the pine trees and explored the hills and ravines of the area. They skied Terry peak when all there was to get you to the top was a rope tow.

Dolores graduated from high school in Spearfish in 1947, and started college at Black Hills State in Spearfish, where she was also working on obtaining a pilot's license. In the fall of 1948, Dolores traveled to Marmarth, N.D. to visit her best friend Lorraine (Flor) Holman. One afternoon while in Marmarth she met a young, larger-than-life rancher just out of the Navy. Two weeks later on Nov. 24, 1948, in Ekalaka, 63 years ago, Dolores K. Fisher and George J Rankin were married.

Four sons were born: George Q., Gary, Don and James Brian. Dolores's life was her family and with four sons she always wanted a daughter, she had to wait, but eventually her sons provided her with daughters-in-law that she loved no less than her sons. They were her girls and they in return gave her 11 grandchildren, eight of them girls.

Dolores and George spent the next 40 years building a farm/ranch operation in southwest North Dakota and also, together with their sons, provided whatever was necessary for the operation of George's parents' ranch for many years. In addition to farming and ranching, George worked full time for the Milwaukee Railroad, Dolores was the Clerk of the Marmarth School District and the city of Marmarth, she served on the Slope County Welfare board and worked for a short time at the Fallon County Memorial Hospital in Baker.

In 1988, they retired and moved to Spearfish, S.D. Dolores was finally back in her Black Hills with her family and old friends. Dolores did volunteer work at the Western Heritage Museum in Spearfish and tutored adults with reading problems. They brought with them to Spearfish Dolores's father-in-law, George M., who remarked that Dolores made his days in Spearfish the happiest days of his life. In October of 2010, they moved to Rapid City to be closer to family.

Dolores was preceded by her parents, Ray and Martha Fisher, brother, Edgar Fisher, sister, Reta Cornell, brother-in-law, Hugh Cornell, grandson, Thomas Rankin, in-laws, George M. and Gladys Rankin.

Survivors are her husband, George J Rankin, Rapid City, S.D.; brother and sister-in-law, Hope and Jane Fisher, Phoenix; sons George Q (Gloria), Rapid City, S.D., Gary (Susan), Larimore, N.D., Don (Denise), Bay City, Mich., James Brian, Belle Fourche, S.D.; grandchildren Katherine (Cory) Eixenberger, Rebecca Rankin, Chris Rankin, Pamela Dolores Rankin, Emily Rankin, Erin Hope Rankin, William Rankin, Tawna (Matt) Martello, Audrey Rankin and Julia Rankin; special nephews, David Fisher and Darrel (Dienna} Cornell, special niece, Gail (Richard) Leibig a very special niece, Bonita (Bill) Hayworth and five great-grandchildren.

Funeral Services were at 10 a.m., Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2011, at the Spearfish United Methodist Church. Burial will follow at Black Hills National Cemetery. Arrangements are under the care of Fidler-Isburg Funeral Chapels & Crematory Service in Spearfish. Online condolences may be written at www.fidler-isburgfuneralchapels.com.

Dolores Rankin