Funeral service for Irvin Salzer, 82 of Mobridge will be 11:00 AM Monday, June 22, 2015 at Pollock Memorial Presbyterian Church. Burial will be at Black Hills National Cemetery at 3:00 PM on Tuesday under the direction of Kesling Funeral Home of Mobridge. Visitation will be Sunday, June 21, 2015 beginning at 4PM with a prayer service at 7PM at Kesling Funeral Chapel. Irvin passed away, Sunday, June 14, 2015 at Rapid City Regional Hospital in Rapid City, SD.

Irvin Henry Salzer, 82, of Mobridge, SD, died Sunday June 14, 2015 at Rapid City Regional Hospital, from cancer. He was born on the farm at Pollock, SD October 26, 1932 to Hannah (Schweigert) & Fred Salzer. He was the oldest of 3 boys. After the family moved to town, Irvin worked for Ike and Trixie Dornbush as a farmhand. Ike and Trixie treated him like part of the family. This was a positive experience for him while his dad spent many years in the hospital at Hot Springs fighting TB.

Irvin graduated from Pollock High School in 1951. He joined the Air Force in November of 1952. While he was stationed at the air base in Cheyenne, WY, he and his childhood sweetheart, Margaret Kruger, made plans to marry. Unfortunately he contracted rheumatic fever so they were married in the hospital on May 29, 1953. Following the wedding and his recovery, he was also stationed in the Philippines and Greenville, SC in his service to our country.

Following his honorable discharge in the fall of 1956, Irvin and Margaret returned home to Pollock, SD. They bought a farm where they raised cattle, grain and their family. Eventually, Irvin started a trucking business to supplement the farm income, and in 1957, he went to work for the Livestock Sanitation Board for the federal government, working toward animal disease eradication.

In 1967 Irvin went to auctioneer school in Billings, MT. When he graduated he started running auctions at local sale barns back home near Pollock. In 1968, when Timber Lake Sale Barn came up for sale, he bought it and the family made the move to Glencross, SD. Irvin also worked farm and household auctions. He started doing coin auctions for the Mobridge Coin Club in 2010 and continued to do them until 2015 with the help of his grandson Benjamin Christiansen.

Between 1978 and 1998, Irvin had many adventures and numerous jobs. He worked at several feed lots and for a combine crew in Texas, Oklahoma and Nebraska.

In 1998, Irvin moved again to Mobridge, SD. He started working for Jensen Rock and Sand in 2002, hauling sand and gravel in the summer until age and health affected his ability to do the job.

Irvin Salzer is survived by his children, Nanette Christiansen of Miller, SD; Cheryl (Tom) Mefford of Hardin, MT; Mark (Helen) Salzer and Benton (Bonnie) Salzer both of Gillette, WY; Irvin Carl (Karen) Salzer of Trail City, SD; Deedra (Blaine) Gesinger and Wendy (Don) Dudden, both of Pierre, SD; a brother Ed (Joan) Salzer of Luverne, MN, special friend Bonnie Larson of Mobridge; 18 grandchildren; 12 great grandchildren; along with numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his parents, stepfather Emile Bertsch, infant twin sisters Leona and Lavina, brother Chester Salzer and grandson Matt Salzer.