Floyd James Linn

The Memorial Service for Floyd James Linn will be at 12:30 p.m. Monday at Black Hills National Cemetery near Sturgis, S.D.

Mr. Linn, 88, of Gillette, formerly of Lantry, S.D., died at home of natural causes Tuesday, March 12, 2013.

He was born at home near the community of Bear Creek north of Lantry on Oct. 26, 1924, to Fred and Alice (Main) Linn. In 1929, the family moved to the old log cabin on Bear Creek east of Dupree, S.D. He attended Elm Creek country school. He spent his young years helping the family with sheepherding and all that goes with ranch work.

Mr. Linn graduated from Dupree High School in 1942. He attended the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology until he joined the Army in November 1944. After basic training, Mr. Linn shipped out of San Francisco bound for the Pacific Rim. He served with the 21st Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division.

Mr. Linn was assigned to A Company 1st Platoon 1st Squad as a scout. He was sent to Leyte and Mindanao in the Philippines. Later he served in Nippon in occupied Japan. He arrived home in October 1946 a decorated veteran.

For the next few years, Mr. Linn worked in the Dupree area as a ranch hand.

He married Irene Hebner at her parents’ house near Eagle Butte, S.D., on Dec. 3, 1950. They traveled to Nevada and Arizona looking for work, returning to Dupree in 1951 where daughter Laurie was born.

In 1952, Mr. Linn and Irene moved to Lantry where for more than 35 years he was the U.S. postmaster and he and Irene operated Linn Grocery.

During that time, daughters Dixie and Annette were born. After retiring in 1990, Mr. Linn and Irene moved to Delta, Colo., and then to Greybull.

Mr. Linn’s interests were varied and many, but most involved anything to do with the outdoors. He loved fishing, hunting, rock hunting, gunsmithing, archeology and history. If he wasn’t doing something, he was trading stories about it.

Mr. Linn is survived by his wife of 62 years, Irene; daughters Laurie Coleman of Bismarck, N.D., Dixie Linn-Norberg of Gillette and Annette of Centreville, Va.; brother Leonard Linn of Sturgis; five grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Fred and Alice (Main) Linn; brother, Ray Linn; and sisters Elva Straight and Barbara Capp.

Memorials and condolences may be sent in Mr. Linn’s name in care of Gillette Memorial Chapel, 210 W. 5th St., Gillette, WY, 82716, at www.gillettememorialchapel.com or attached to the obituary at www.gillettenewsrecord.com.