Terry Kilian
March 16, 1949 ~ August 12, 2012
Terry Kilian, 63, of Aberdeen, passed away Sunday, August 12, 2012 at Avera St. Luke’s Hospital in Aberdeen.
Funeral services were held at 2:00 p.m., Thursday, August 16, 2012, at the United Methodist Church, Gettysburg, with Pastor Jeff Adel officiating. Burial followed at the Gettysburg Cemetery. Visitation was held from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m., Thursday, at the church.
Terry Kilian was born March 16, 1949 in Hoven, SD to Keith and Delores (Boke) Kilian. He was raised in the Gettysburg area and later moved with his father to Aberdeen. Here he attended grade school and graduated from Central High School in 1967.
On February 20, 1971 he was united in marriage to Valarie Kleine in Aberdeen. To this union three children were born.
Prior to graduating high school, Terry learned to drive semi trucks. He spent the largest part of his life enjoying this occupation as an independent owner/operator over the road driver. Once he stopped driving over the road, Terry continued to drive locally for Larson Concrete and South Dakota Wheat Growers. From 1993 to 2006 he worked as a welder for Twin City Fan. In 2006, when he retired, he continued to work as a handyman for his neighbor and friend, Rod Eikamp.
Terry loved to spend time with his children, grandchildren, and dogs. He loved mechanics and was always tinkering with something to try and make it better. He also loved hunting, fishing, and welding. He will be remembered as a man who was always working on a plan, working on the execution of that plan and sometimes getting a little side tracked from that plan! But one of his greatest assets was that he was straight forward and you always knew where you stood with him.
Terry’s life will be cherish by his children: Marnie Kilian (Dean Vossekuil) of Waupun, WI, Joni (Shawn) Norton of Montgomery, MN and Travis Kilian of Aberdeen; 11 grandchildren; ex-wife: Val Kilian of Aberdeen; four sisters and two brothers.
His parents preceded him in death.
Luce Funeral Home of Gettysburg has been entrusted with Terry’s arrangements.
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Val-
I was sorry to hear about Terry. My thoughts and prayers will be with you and your family.
Pat
Great friend & neighbor, we will miss you dearly. Rest in Peace.
I have many great memories of Terry, from as far back as when I was a little kid. I remember him getting Marnie her first vehicle, to the times he would yell at Travis and I for being in the garden. I spent the last couple of years visiting with him and finding myself asking for his fatherly advice at Rohly’s. He was a great person to be around and will be missed deeply. My prayers and thoughts are with Val,Marnie,Joni, and Travis. God Bless
My thoughts and prayers go out to you all at this difficult time. Terry was an exceptional person and I know you will all miss him in your own way.
Thoughts and prayers go to Terry’s family.
Brad, Jill, Casey & Jarrett Vining
to all those who will miss my big brother so much,may good memories bring you peace.He was my only big brother and I will miss him dearly.So ironic that his service is the same day as our mothers death .Peace be with you Love Mariann.
With sincere sympathy , Peace and Prayers, John Hartung and Toni Gross
My thoughts and prayers are with you!
Terry will be missed – he usually came into Bonn Express for his morning coffee and occ gas & donut I just talked to him last weekend – I will miss his friendly winks
karen misslitz (cashier at Bonn Express in Aberdeen)
To Delores’s family:
Sorry to hear of your loss…We are family and have never met many of you. We presently are in Wyoming and Rapid City so will not be there for the funeral. I do family history and would love to meet you someday. Thinking of you today..