Ernest M. Viken

** VIDEO CAN BE VIEWED BY CLICKING ON WEBLINK ABOVE ** Ernest M. Viken, age 86 of Belle Fourche, died Thursday, June 4th, 2015 at his home in Belle Fourche. A memorial service will be held 10:30am Wednesday, June 10th, 2015 at St. James Lutheran Church in Belle Fourche, with Pastor Jeff Otterman officiating. Visitation will be held 5 to 7pm Tuesday, with a Masonic Lodge service at 6pm, at Leverington Funeral Home of the Northern Hills in Belle Fourche. Inurnment will take place in Pine Slope Cemetery, in Belle Fourche. Ernest Melvin Viken was born July 22, 1928 to John P. and Thea (Borgedalen) Viken. He attended rural schools in Lac Qui Parle County Minnesota and graduated from Boyd High School in 1946. Ernie moved to Belle Fourche, South Dakota in 1951. He married Marion Taylor in 1954 at the Zion Lutheran Church in Rapid City. To this union four children were born Evelyn Marie, Robert Jon, Richard Alan, and David Lee. Ernie's dream was to become a doctor and after a fashion he achieved his dream--in the farm machinery business. He worked in sales for various farm equipment manufacturers and dealers. He also spent much of his career performing life altering procedures on various pieces of equipment in shops, fields, pastures, garages in Wyoming, South Dakota, Montana, Nebraska and his own back yard. His knowledge of vintage equipment was phenomenal. He was considered by many to be the best diesel mechanic west of the Missouri river. Ernie loved driving the back roads. He was active in Boy Scouts for many years and was a Silver Beaver recipient. He was past Master of the Masonic Lodge in Belle Fourche and Buffalo South Dakota. He was also 32nd Degree Knight Commander of the Court of Honor of the Scottish Rite. Also he was Past Master of the Cedar Lodge in Belle Fourche and the Cedar Branch in Buffalo, and Past Grand Tyler of the Grand Lodge of SD. He was a past member of the Isaac Walton League, Odd Fellows, Naja Shrine, and is credited to bringing the CHIPS Program to western South Dakota, which is a child identification program still used today. He also helped the science club in the Belle Fourche schools, having served as judge for the science fair projects for many years. Ernie was an avid reader of history and science; He enjoyed hunting and fishing, and tractors. Ernie truly enjoyed time spent with his grandson Justin Viken working, hunting, fishing and going to the Belle Inn. Ernie is survived by his daughter, Evelyn of Ft. Lupton, CO; sons, Robert (Diane) of Rapid City, Richard of Ft. Lupton CO; 3 grandchildren, Jamie, Ashley, and Justin; 5 great grandchildren, Avery, Christian, Keyana, Madison, Collin; brother Norman (Mary Lou) of Boyd MN. He was preceded in death by his parents; wife; son, David; and his siblings Palmer, Evelyn, and Norma. IN LOVING MEMORY Ernest M. Viken   Date of Birth July 22, 1928 Lac Qui Parie County, Minnesota   Date of Death June 4, 2015 Belle Fourche, South Dakota   Memorial Service 10:30 A.M. – Wednesday – June 10th, 2015 St. James Lutheran Church Belle Fourche, South Dakota   Officiant Pastor Jeff Otterman   Honorary Bearers – Masonic Lodge   Urnbearers Stan Bevier                            John Kissack Curt Elson                              Robert Viken   Special Music “Amazing Grace”, “The Old Rugged Cross” Debra Leverington, soloist Hymns – “How Great Thou Art”, “Just As I Am” Judy Howard, pianist   Inurnment Pine Slope Cemetery Belle Fourche, South Dakota