Lieutenant Colonel Shane Galster, US Army, 51, Vicksburg, Miss. went home to his final resting place to be with his beloved grandparents and relatives on June 3, 2014. LTC Galster’s Mass of Christian Burial will be at 9:30 a.m., Friday, June 13, 2014 at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Dickinson with Fr. Todd Kreitinger as celebrant. Interment will follow at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery, Mandan. Visitation will on Thursday, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. with a rosary at 7 p.m. at Ladbury Funeral Service, Dickinson. Visitation will continue one hour prior to service time at the church on Friday.
Shane Douglas Galster born March 11, 1963 in Dickinson, was the first of three sons born to Don and Pauli (Reisenauer) Galster. He attended school in Dickinson and graduated in 1981. Upon completion of high school he immediately joined the North Dakota National Guard and he continued to attend monthly National Guard gatherings while he attended the University of North Dakota where he received his Bachelors Degree in Business. Upon graduation from college Shane realized he wanted to make the military his life’s career goal which began his 32 year military career. Shane started as an enlisted soldier and upon his death was a Lieutenant Colonel. In 1988 Shane was chosen to attend Officer’s Candidate School, he was then commissioned as a Second Lieutenant thereby setting the course of his military path. Some of Shane’s military assignments through the years were as a Platoon Leader, Construction Inspection Officer, Assistant, S3, Plans Officer and Force Integration Officer. During his tours of duty in Korea he served as Engineer Equipment Officer, and Facilities Contracting Construction Management Engineer Officer. Shane went on to serve at the Pentagon as assistant Chief of Staff for Installation Project Officer and Army Engineer Staff Officer. His final deployment was as an Operations Officer in Deployable Command Post. Shane was scheduled to retire later this year.
During his tours of duty, he was stationed to various bases in the states of Missouri, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Colorado, Mississippi and North Dakota, as well as a four-year deployment to the Republic of South Korea. While on these assigned tours he took the time to visit the states attractions and sites. One of these excursions took him to the island of Guam which he took a great liking to and was considering retiring there.
While Shane was stationed in Korea he met his wife, SunA, and her two children.
Shane was an avid hunter, fisherman, and general outdoorsman, he especially enjoyed coming back to North Dakota to share these times with his brothers, and bonding with them and their children during these times was an important part of his life. Shane utilized the fruits of his hunting by creating superb sausages which he left in North Dakota for his family to enjoy. Other hobbies included an extensive collection of Depression glass as well as an assorted gun collection.
Shane is survived by his wife SunA, and her two children, his parents, Don and Pauli Galster, Dickinson, two brothers, Dr. Shannon (Audra) Galster, Dickinson and their children Aspen and Chance, Sheldon (Nancy) Galster, Dickinson and their children Ashley and Dainara. Along with many uncles, aunts and cousins.
In lieu of flowers the family requests that memorials be given in Shane’s honor to the North Dakota National Guard Foundation, PO Box 5511, Bismarck, ND 58506-5511.
