Gaylord W. Wilkie, 81, Dickinson, died Tuesday, February 23, 2021 at St. Benedict’s Health Center, Dickinson. Gaylord’s Funeral Service will be at 10 a.m., Thursday, February 25, 2021 at St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church, Dickinson, with Rev. Lisa Lewton and Rev. Joe Natwick officiating. Interment will take place at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery, Mandan. Military Honors will be provided by the Dickinson American Legion Post 3 Honor Guard. Visitation will be on Wednesday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Ladbury Funeral Service, Dickinson. Visitation will continue one hour prior to the service at the church on Thursday.

Gaylord Wilkie was born at his home in Whitsett, Pa., the son of Andrew and Mae (Jackson) Wilkie on September 6, 1939. He attended high school in Perryopolis, Pa. and graduated in 1957. On March 3, 1958, he joined the United States Air Force and spent most of his time at the Ellsworth Air Force Base in Rapid City, S.D. He had also spent two months in Alaska and thirteen months in Korea, receiving an honorable discharge on June 30, 1962.

Gaylord was united in marriage to Janette Erickson on October 25, 1959 and they moved to Hettinger. While in Hettinger he worked at Erlandson Lumber and began working for Jerome Distributing, eventually being transferred to Dickinson in 1972, where they have lived since. He went to work in Belfield for Koch Industries which was based out of Wichita, Kas. He retired after 20 years in 1998.

He loved hunting, fishing, camping, working on puzzles, woodworking, listening to 50’s music, and watching John Wayne movies. His true enjoyment was spending time with his family.

Gaylord is survived by his wife, Janette; children, David (Leslie) Wilkie, Linda (Blane) Fugere, Susan (Gary) Schaefer, and Christopher Wilkie; son-in-law, LaMont Evoniuk; seven grandchildren, Danielle (Andrew) Champa, Breanna Schaefer, Alexis (Cory) Rhodes, Evan Wilkie, Ryan Schaefer, Cade Fugere, and Ethan Wilkie; and great-grandson, Esley Champa.

He was preceded in death by his daughter, Lori Evoniuk; parents; and four siblings.