Charlie Loup

**  VIDEO TRIBUTE CAN BE VIEWED BY CLICKING WEBLINK ABOVE (Computers Only)  **Frank Charles Loup, age 75 of Spearfish, died Monday January 5, 2015 at his home from a sudden cardiac event. The funeral service will be held 10:30am Monday January 12, 2015 at St. James Lutheran Church with Pastor Tom Martin and Pastor Jeff Otterman officiating. Visitation will be held 2 to 4 pm Sunday, with a public prayer service at 2pm at Leverington Funeral Home of the Northern Hills in Belle Fourche.  Interment will be held at Black Hills National Cemetery with Military Honors provided by the Belle Fourche Veterans Honor Guard. Memorials are preferred. Frank Charles Loup was born on September 6, 1939 in Sturgis, SD to Nathaniel Harrison and Evelyn (Canfield) Loup. His early years were split between the family homestead on the banks of Whitewood Creek and living in a sheep wagon while he traveled with his father with a sheering crew in support of WWII. “Charlie” went to school at the Loup Country School (walking up hills both ways), the Nisland Public School and graduated in 1957 from Belle Fourche.  His stubborn fearlessness at age 20 landed him in a hospital with Pat Barden as a roommate, the older brother of his future wife. His story of the “burned brownies’ was a common response when asked how he met his bride. Charlie entered the U.S. Navy in 1961. He served aboard the USS Bryce Canyon and the USS Ernest G. Small.  During that time he enjoyed playing football for the Navy, wearing number 13.  After being medically discharged, he enrolled at SDSU and Black Hills State College, eventually returning home to work on the family farm with his father. On January 15, 1966 he married Dianna Barden in Nisland. To this union was born six children: Betsy, Nate, Daphne, Dallas, MacKenzie, and Rodney.  Over the next 45 years they all learned the love of animals, the importance of a job well done and how to give back in life. Charlie loved living on the family homestead and could sit for hours telling stories about nearly every nook and cranny. He served on several dairy boards, school boards, 4 H and fair boards, and the extension board. Charlie and Dianna were well known in the 1970-80’s as having an elite dairy herd. Their children knew very well the intricate details of the family business, spending hours in the milk barn, sheep sheds, on tractors and fixing fence. Fond memories of hauling their show animals to the county, state, and western Jr. fairs are still argued over the kitchen table. Wherever the “Loup Troop” ventured, the awards and recognition followed and Charlie was very much the proud father.    Charlie is survived by his wife of 48 years,  Dianna of Spearfish; sons, Nate and Rodney Loup of Spearfish; daughters, Betsy (Miles) Burtzlaff of Whitewood, Daphne (Lee) Harstad of Spearfish; Dallas (Chip) Conner of Belle Fourche, MacKenzie (Douglas) Umberger of Spearfish; 16 grandchildren; 1 great granddaughter; 2 brothers, Dave (Edith) Loup of Milbank SD, Bill (Marlen) Loup of Reno NV; 3 sisters, Mary (Roland) Berger of Whitewood, Patricia Hurd of Illinois, Connie (Gary) Zimbleman of Spearfish; brothers-in-law, Pat (Janet) Barden of Belle Fourche, Roger (Terry) Barden of Aurora CO, Jack Barden of Spearfish; sisters-in-law, Donna Greenwaldt of Sturgis, Punky Barden of Sturgis, Lorraine Barden of Rapid City; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Rodney Loup; and brothers-in-law, Robert , Earl, and Frank Barden, Caroll Hurd, and Vic Greenwaldt. DATE OF BIRTH September 6, 1939 – Sturgis, South Dakota   DATE OF DEATHJanuary 5, 2015 – Spearfish, South Dakota   FUNERAL SERVICE 10:30 A.M. – Monday – January 12, 2015 St. James Lutheran Church Belle Fourche, South Dakota   OFFICIANTS Pastor Tom Martin, Pastor Jeff Otterman   TRIBUTE Bill Wood   MUSIC “Amazing Grace”, “Fly to Jesus” Debra Leverington, soloist Alice Marrs, pianist Cong. Hymns – “How Great Thou Art”, “The Old Rugged Cross” Processional – “Impossible” – recording by Joe Nichols Recessional – “Daddy’s Hands” – recording by Holly Dunn   CASKETBEARERS Miles Burtzlaff                                                                 Ashley Sutton Lee Harstad                                                                Theadore Conner Chip Conner                                                                       Parker Sutton Douglas Umberger                                                       Griffin Conner   INTERMENT Black Hills National Cemetery - Sturgis, SD Military Rites Belle Fourche Veterans Honor Guard