General Notes

AMES ROBERT GILLICK
Aberdeen American News (SD)  |  20 November 2011
Ipswich: Mass of Christian burial for James Robert Gillick, loving husband, father, and grandfather, will be 10 a.m. Monday, Nov. 21, 2011, at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Ipswich.
Burial will follow at Holy Cross Cemetery in Ipswich with military graveside rites being conducted by Ipswich American Legion Post.

Visitation will be on Sunday, Nov. 20, 2011, from 5 to 7p.m. at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Ipswich. Following will be a liturgical wake service at 7 p.m., also at the church.

James was born on Jan. 20, 1924, in Ipswich, S.D., to Edward and Catherine (Langan) Gillick. James attended Holy Cross grade school and graduated from Ipswich Public High School in May 1942. Following high school, he farmed with his father until he entered the United States Army in 1945. James served his country as a military police officer in Japan. After two years of service, James was honorably discharged from the Army and returned back home to Ipswich. He began work in establishing power lines in the Ipswich area for three years.

In 1949, James began work in road construction for the next 10 years as a large equipment operator for Harris Construction, which was involved in building many of the U.S. highways in South Dakota.

James was united in marriage to Viola Lacher on Jan. 30, 1957, in Ipswich. James and Viola were blessed with eight children. He began work for the S.D. State Highway Department for six years. In 1964, James began work as custodian of the Ipswich Community Hospital, where he worked for 10 years. He returned to the S.D. State Highway Department in 1974, where he worked until his retirement in December 1988.

The role he valued most was that of husband and dad. Dad's life was an example of true devotion for Mom and sacrificial love for his family. His patience, humility and kind and gentle spirit left a legacy of love for his wife, children and grandchildren.

James was a lifetime member of Holy Cross Catholic Church in Ipswich and the American Legion. He had also been a volunteer EMT in Ipswich.

Great joys for Dad were time spent with family, riding his moped, watching "real" WWF wrestling, on a rare occasion, outbidding Mom in a heated card game of pinochle and most of all, evening prayer with Mom. He especially was proud of being a 100 percent full-blooded Irish Catholic. A cherished memory is seeing Dad as the honored passenger in Mom's golf cart as they traveled the roads of Ipswich.

Dad was a man of honor and courage. Heaven must have needed a hero.

Grateful for having shared James life are his wife of 54 years, Viola; son, Timothy (Barb) Gillick, and sons, Richard, Chad (Adrianne), Christopher; son-in-law, Greg Beattie; and daughter, Lauren; daughter, Yvonne Gillick; daughter, Cheryl (Rod) Breitling, and children: Brandon, Ryan (fiancZe Abby Mehlbrech), Marie; son, John (Lori), and daughter, Ashlea Gillick; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; daughter, Donna (Gillick) Beattie; and three children in infancy: Catherine, Edward and Magdalena; brothers: Edward, William, John, and Donald.