Norbert John Faulstich

November 8, 1936 ~ September 25, 2024

Norbert John Faulstich, 87, Brandon, SD, died Wednesday, September 25, 2024, at the Hidden Valley Assisted Living Home in, Ogden, UT, following health issues.

Inurnment for Norbert will be at the SD State Veteran’s Cemetery, 10:00am, Thursday, October 3, 2024, with Full Military Honors. A Celebration of Norb’s Life will be 1:00pm, Thursday, October 3, 2024, at Heritage Lutheran Church. Click on this link to watch live https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89715423680?pwd=Y5Q3vh1qS7ZVsABNn9aHhKA2bl8omz.1

Norbert John Faulstich was born to Ethel (Dunlap) and Norbert Faulstich on November 8, 1936, in Highmore, SD.  He grew up on a ranch near Holabird, SD, and graduated from Highmore High School.  Norbert went on to attend South Dakota State University in Brookings, graduating with a degree in animal husbandry. While at State, he was also a member of Army ROTC and upon graduation, went to Fort Sill for artillery officer training and was commissioned as a 2nd then 1st Lieutenant in the Army. It was during college that Norbert met his future wife, Jane Larson. Lore has it he spotted her working on a float during homecoming week and the rest was history. It must have been all those Nick’s hamburgers they enjoyed together.

After officer training, Norbert was stationed in Frankfurt, Germany, for two years. During that time, Jane and Norbert welcomed a daughter, Tammy, to their young family. In 1962, they moved back to the ranch in Highmore and welcomed a second daughter, Heidi, in May of that year.

Norbert spent the first years of his career as a County Agent in Wagner, Lake Andes, and Vermillion, SD. When he accepted a position as sales manager for Farmland Industries/Double Circle Co-op, the family moved to Sioux Falls. Apart from a brief move to Bismarck, ND, with Farmland, South Dakota was home.

Norbert was an avid hunter and outdoorsman. His favorite time of year was fall—weekend mornings sitting in duck blinds and afternoons crunching through cornfields chasing ringneck pheasants. But he especially looked forward to deer season in the Black Hills. The wake-up call at 4:30am was always “got any deer hunters in here”. With smells of a He-man-mountain man breakfast coming from the Ish-Ga-Bibble cabin kitchen.

Because of all the time they spent West River, Norbert and Jane fell in love with the Black Hills. They bought a lot just west of Custer and started to plan their retirement there. Their dream was SEGLITH: Sell Everything and Go Live In The Hills. And they did (except we never believed they “sold everything”!).

Norbert started the Black Hills homestead with a basement apartment where he could live while he built the rest of the house. He also built a garage with a shop for his woodworking, then ANOTHER shop for his woodworking because Jane took over his space with all her dolls and miniatures.

Another legacy Norbert left is the cabin at Lake Norden. Norbert made a deal with Jane’s uncle Vaino to buy some land just north of the Bajuniemi cabin. He poured a foundation and moved a simple little house from a cow pasture onto the lot. Summers were—and continue to be—spent at the lake. He pulled hundreds of skiers out of the water at their signal—‘HIT IT!”

Norbert never let any grass grow under his feet. For him, it was early to bed; early to rise. He spent his retirement helping friends with construction projects and farming. He had an inspiring faith and loved Jesus well.

Those left to miss him include two daughters, Tammy (Bob) Eppens, and Heidi Ode; grandchildren, Ashleigh (Billy) Haas, David (Suzy) Eppens, Tyler (Alesia) Ode, Paul (Kaitlin) Ode, Christian (Claire) Ode, Calvin (Kaitlyn) Ode, Kathryn (Eric) Eigenberg, and Lincoln (Bailey) Ode; great-grandchildren, William and Jane Haas, Eliza and Lily Eppens, Oak and Ivy Ode, Beckett, Beau, Barron and Lena Ode, Thomas, Harvey, and Aurora Ode, and Burton and Sawyer Ode.  

Norbert was preceded in death by his bride of 64 years, Jane; his parents, and one sister and brother-in-law, Linda (Paul) Vergets; and two sons-in-law, Thomas Ode, and Richard Woodside.

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