August "Gus" Rosemore

August W. “Gus” Rosemore, 76, of Miller, passed away Saturday, July 10, 2010 at the Highmore Healthcare Center.

His wishes were to have no services and donate his body to the University Of South Dakota School Of Medicine in Vermillion.

Gus was born in Miller, South Dakota on June 28, 1934 to Clarence M. and Martha (Stonefield) Rosemore. He attended school in Miller. Gus began working as a mechanic in 1952 for Garland Dennis and Les Trotman at Miller Motors. After serving in the Army from August 1, 1956 to 1958, he returned to work there until the business closed in 1960.

From 1960 to 1962, he was a mechanic at Zeigler Motor Company. Following that, he was a truck driver and heavy equipment operator for three construction companies: Roger Hines, George Niederauer and Fred Sivertsen.

In June of 1963, he purchased Hand County Dairy, a home delivery and wholesale business, which he continued to operate until selling to Bob Blachford in 1967. During this time, he was also an independent carpet installer, serving several counties. He continued until selling to Bob Klages in 1970.

On April 1, 1970, he and his brother Vince began running the Phillip’s 66 Station in Miller. In 1972, they moved Rosemore’s Service (Mobil) to the old DX Station until they sold the station to Co-op Service in 1974.

It was also during this same time period that Gus’ father-in-law, Ross Q. Bingham, purchased a fiberglass burial vault company and incorporated with Gus and Vince into Dowlite of Miller. Vince bought Dowlite, Inc. in 1980.

In 1976, Rosemore’s Service was reborn in a new shop next to his home in St. Lawrence. However, Ross decided to retire from farming and Gus tried to do both the farming and maintain his auto service shop.

1979 saw Gus farming, doing mechanic work, making cemetery setups for Dowlite and hauling grain to Minneapolis and Omaha for Allen Ross. Then on October 1, 1979, he was hired by the City of Miller and was the street superintendent until he retired on July 1, 1998.

For the next four years, he and his wife traveled to several states as body transporters for Dowlite Transport, retiring in October of 2002.

Gus married Carolyn Bingham, daughter of Ross Q. and Edna B. (Siegling) Bingham of St. Lawrence on August 26, 1961. They made their home in St. Lawrence until August of 1991 when they moved to Miller.
Gus’ only interest was in classic and custom cars of the 1950’s, especially his 1955 Ford Crown Victoria. He was a member of the S.D. Street Rod Association and the Miller Central Plains Cruisers Car Club. He was the first drummer with Vince Lumby’s country dance band (The Troubadours) from 1959 to 1961. He was also the first flagman for the Miller Central Speedway. During this time he also flagged at the Oahe Speedway in Pierre and at the S.D. State Fair races for a couple of years.

Gus is survived by his wife, Carolyn of Miller; son, Justin Rosemore of Santa Clara, CA; brother, Loren (Angie) Rosemore of Miller; sisters: Loretta (Ervin) Diede of Hastings, MN and Leila (Marlin) Jerpseth of Burnsville, MN; sister-in-laws: Angie Rosemore of Hawthorne, NV and Bobbi Rosemore of Miller; mother-in-law, Edna B. Bingham of Highmore; and several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Clarence and Marge; brothers: Orville “Bud”, Larry and Vince; and father-in-law, Ross Q. Bingham.

Reck Funeral Home of Miller has been entrusted with Gus’ arrangements.