Funeral services for Alvin "Blackie" Horst, 85, of Glenham, SD, will be at 10:30 AM, Saturday, October 10, 2015, at St. Jacobi Lutheran Church in Glenham. Burial will be in the Glenham Cemetery under the direction of Kesling Funeral Home of Mobridge. Visitation will be from 5-7 Friday, with a prayer service at 7 PM, at the funeral home. Blackie passed away on Tuesday, October 6, 2015, at Sanford Health of Bismarck, ND.


Alvin was born on January 13, 1930, near Java, South Dakota, to Reinhold and Magdalena (Schock) Horst. He left Java in 1948 to work on the Railroad in Ellensburg, Washington. He married Arleen Ruby Johnson April 20, 1951, drafted into the Military in October of that year. After being medically discharged from the Army he worked for REA, Oahe Dam Construction and various construction projects in South Dakota, Arizona, North Dakota (Missile Sites), Montana, Alaska (Pipeline), including internationally at Saudi Arabia and Guyana. He was known as Blackie among his friends and co-workers because of his black hair and beard.

He worked in the Logging Industry and various Construction Projects including The Trego Tunnel in Montana where they resided in Columbia Falls for 24 years. They raised 3 children, Vian, Verlyn, and Vernon there, and retired to Glenham, South Dakota, in 1990.

Alvin's passions were his family, NASCAR, trap shooting and hunting. One of his many accomplishments was hitting 200 consecutive targets in 2011 at the South Dakota State Shoot. He also enjoyed cooking, canning, sewing, reloading his ammunition, gardening, and traveling, especially cruising. He enjoyed his grandchildren and great-grandchildren and spent time with them whenever he could. His career allowed him to travel the world and he also enjoyed many vacations with his family. The most recent was a road trip to North West Montana with his daughter in July.

Alvin is survived by his children, Vian Elaine Borg of Daytona Beach, Florida, and Vernon Lee Horst of Palmer, Alaska; his sibling, Pracilla Fadness of Walla Walla, Washington; his grandchildren, Ashly (Luis) Rivera of Sanford, Florida, Brent (Laura) Borg of Dazell, South Carolina, Ki'ana Horst and Kiera Horst of Palmer, Alaska; 3 great-grandchildren, Landon Daniel and Levi Scott Borg and Brookelynn Ashly Rivera; and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Arleen Horst; his parents; his son, Verlyn Reiny Horst; his siblings, Albert Horst, Edna Voshall, Eleanora "Toots" Spiry, Viola Goetz, Cora Sandmeier, and Marcella "Sally" Sannes; and nieces and nephews, Dave Spiry, Darrel Goetz, and Vitas Shehan.