Rick's service may be live streamed by clicking https://youtube.com/live/4hFrAbZfqFQ?feature=share

Richard Carl "Rick" Wahlstrom was born February 13, 1923 on a farm near Craig, Nebraska, the son of Carl Hugo and Edna (Erickson) Wahlstrom, the children of Swedish immigrants. Remembered for his passion for people and pigs, the farm kid, war hero, PhD, humanitarian, and SDSU icon passed away quietly in Brookings, SD on January 23, 2023 with family at his side. Rick was just three weeks shy of his 100th birthday.

Wahlstrom graduated from Oakland, NE High School in 1940.  During his youth he was heavily involved in 4-H at the local, state and national levels. He later credited 4-H with setting him on his lifelong career path.

Rick enrolled at the University of Nebraska in 1941, but his education was interrupted when Uncle Sam called him to serve in the US Army from 1943 to 1946.  He was a gunner in the 492 nd Field Artillery Battalion of the 11 th Armored Division in Europe under the command of General George Patton, notably participating in the Battle of the Bulge.  Rick exemplified the Greatest Generation.

In the fall of 1946, he re-enrolled at the University of Nebraska where he was a leader in Alpha Gamma Rho and top member of the Livestock Judging Team, which often won National Honors.

It was there, too, that he met his soulmate and the love of his life.  On a hot August 17, 1947, he and LaRayne Frances Steyer were married at Exeter, Nebraska.  Rick and LaRayne shared nearly 71 years together before her death in 2018. They were blessed with the birth of three sons: Richard Kent (1950), Mark Willard (1954) and Ronald Eric (1956).

In 1948, Rick graduated from the UNL College of Agriculture majoring in Animal Husbandry.  He was accepted into graduate school at the University of Illinois, where he earned his Doctorate Degree in Animal Nutrition in 1951.

Dr. Wahlstrom joined the Animal Science Department faculty at South Dakota State University the following year, beginning a career of teaching and research that spanned 36 years until he retired in 1988.  He served as the Department Head of Animal Science from 1960 to 1968, and again from 1987 to 1988.

During his tenure, Wahlstrom was named Teacher of the Year in the College of Agriculture and BioScience three times.  He authored or co-authored 437 journal and magazine articles and departmental reports.  He served on the F.O. Butler Foundation Board for 27 years and together with LaRayne served for over 20 years on the Board of Directors of the SDSU Repertory Theater.  One of his proudest achievements was founding the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity at SDSU.

Upon his retirement, the SD Board of Regents named Dr. Wahlstrom the first ever Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the state of South Dakota.  He also received the American Society of Animal Science Animal Management Award in 1976.  In 1986 he was named a Fellow of the American Society of Animal Scientists and in 1989 was given the Animal Industry Service Award.

Rick was active in the Brookings community and the First United Methodist Church, where he served on and chaired numerous boards and committees.  He and LaRayne were co-lay leaders of their church and representatives at many Annual Conferences; team-taught the high school youth class for 10 years; and were Confirmation Class mentors.  Following his retirement, Rick was active leading multiple Volunteer in Mission work teams to Haiti (Solar Oven Project) and Zimbabwe (Africa University).  He also worked with Volunteers for Overseas Cooperative Assistance in Bolivia and Habitat for Humanity building projects in Eagle Butte, SD and Brookings.

Rotary International was special to Wahlstrom.  He served as president of the Brookings Rotary Club, District Secretary from 1969 to 1977, Rotary District 5610 Governor in 1979-1980, and District Treasurer from 1988 to 1998.  Rick served on the Rotary International Legislative Councils in 1980, 1989 and 1998.  He was recognized multiple times as a Rotary Paul Harris Fellow.

Preceding him in death were his beloved LaRayne, his parents and his older brother, Lee.

Survivors include his sons Richard (Catherine) of Rapid City, Mark (Nancy) of Sioux Falls and Ron (Shirlee Speed) of Portland, OR; grandchildren Marcel (Sherry), Dane, Bryan, Dustin (Laura), Aaron (Melisa), and Chelsey (Anthony Virgilio) Wahlstrom; great grandchildren Mikah, Kahmali, Isla, Charlotte, and Matthew Wahlstrom; and sister, Barbara Davis. Extended family members include Reinhard and Sally Jahns, Lucia Luond, Hilary Kowino, and Christopher Wagner.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be made to the Rick Wahlstrom Endowed Chair in Swine Production at SDSU- https://givenow.sdstatefoundation.org or the Wahlstrom Scholarship at Africa University- https://www.support-africauniversity.org/2014/giving-opportunities/make-a-gift .

***Please note service dates***

A funeral and celebration of life will be held at the First United Methodist Church in Brookings on Sunday, February 12, 2023, at 2:00PM. Visitation will be Saturday, February 11, at Eidsness Funeral Home from 3pm to 5pm. Condolences may be sent to the family at P.O. Box 286, Brookings, SD 57006.