Rex Burghduff

A Funeral Service for Rex L. Burghduff, 76, of Camp Crook, SD will be 2:00 p. m. on Thursday, April 14, 2011, at the Camp Crook Community Center in Camp Crook with Pastor Tom Martin officiating. Interment will follow in the Fairview Cemetery at Camp Crook. Visitation will be one hour prior to the time of service. Rex passed away on Friday, April 8, 2011, at St. Alexius Medical Center in Bismarck, ND. I was born October 26, 1934 at Camp Crook, South Dakota to Edith Mae (Turbiville) and Kenneth Lee Burghduff during the dry depressed years of the Dirty Thirties. We saw a lot of hard up years living in sheep wagons, herding sheep, driving horses, and moving from place to place with my parents; myself, my sister Alice two years younger, my brother Kenny four years younger. Then came the 40?s, World War II, more tough and sad times. But the drought broke and we had grass and hay for the livestock. Us kids started school so my parents settled down on the homestead my granddad had since around 1910 so we could go to country school. I went the first grade in Camp Crook, the following seven years to Tarter School, much of the time only us three kids going there. I had the same teacher for my last six years of school, Caroline (Peterson) Heggem, a wonderful teacher and dear friend. In 1947, we had another brother born, but passed away when only a few hours old. Then in 1949, Gerald, my youngest brother was born and in 1954 my youngest sister, Rhoda Mae was born. I never started to high school the year I got out of the 8th grade. Wanted to stay home and help my dad. This happened to be the winter of ?49. One of the worst this country has ever seen. We pitched hay and shoveled snow all winter. Drove four head of horses on the sled and fed sheep and cattle ? a terrible winter. The next year some kids talked me into going to high school. I was bashful at that time and the third week my teacher, Jane Bennett told me on the following Monday I had to get up in front of the class and make a speech. I never went back! That was the end of my education in a classroom. The rest of my education came from the ?School of Hard Knocks. ?In 1952 I married Jean Vigoren from Buffalo. We lived on my parents place then later moved to the Juntti Place on the Little Missouri River. We had five healthy, tough, rambunctious kids. Rexene Jean, Debbie Mae, Kelly Jo ?Bunny?, Lex Lee and Alice Joy. The kids all liked the ranch and practically lived on horses as I was breaking horses all the time and shearing sheep (for 18 years) as a sideline to make the ranch work. In the 80?s I moved back to Red Hills where we used to live forty years before in a sheep wagon. A beautiful spot where I can see 25 to 40 miles in every direction. Cheryl and I were married October 10, 1994. I have fifteen grandkids that I think the world of. Rexene has Dek, Tandy, and Trinity. Bunny has Tracy, Jesse, Mazee, Mattee, and Emilee. Lex has Lexy, Hazer, Annie Kate, and Jake. Alice has Shaylene, Cole, and Marissa ?Missy?. Every one top cowboys and cowgirls. A wonderful bunch of grandkids. And now seven great grandkids. I?ve been broke nearly half my life. Lived behind times compared to a lot of people I know, money wise. In other ways I?m one of the richest and luckiest men I know. What an honor to have so many wonderful friends. Rex has been a Brand Inspector for 59 years. In 2002, he was honored at the Stockgrowers meeting in Spearfish, SD for fifty years of service. He was a director for the Ludlow Grazing Association, director for the Camp Crook Roping Club, helped with the Camp Crook Junior Rodeo, 4-H Rodeo and was a High School Rodeo Director. Throughout his lifetime, Rex met and made many life long rodeo friends. In the last sentence of Rex?s obituary that he wrote he sums it up best, ?God has blessed me and I wouldn?t trade my life for all the world. ? ?It?s been a great ride. ?Those left to mourn his passing are his wife, Cheryl of Camp Crook, SD; his two brothers, Kenny (Lois) Burghduff of Belle Fourche, SD and Gerald (Becky) Burghduff of Camp Crook, SD; one sister, Rhoda Mae (J. O. ) McDonald of Hulett, WY; his children, Rexene (Justin) Till of Buffalo, SD, Debbie (Bill) Mackay of Custer, MT, Bunny Bail of Wall, SD, Lex Burghduff of Ludlow, SD and Alice Burghduff, Glendive, MT; fifteen grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Kenneth Lee and Edith Mae Burghduff, his brother, James Otto Burghduff, his sister, Alice Burghduff Johnson and his nephew, Shawn Burghduff. A memorial has been established.


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Burial Date: April 14, 2011
Funeral Home Baker, MT

Funeral Service: Thursday, Camp Crook Community Center, Camp Crook, SD