Walter Trevor Bixler passed away Sunday, June 12, 2016, at the age of 96 years, 8 days old at SunQuest Healthcare Center. His funeral service was held at 10:00 AM, Wednesday, June 15th at the First United Methodist Church. Burial was in the Altoona Cemetery at Hitchcock.
Walter Trevor Bixler was born to Walter Lloyd and Esther (Wieting) Bixler on June 4, 1920, on their farm near Ipswich, South Dakota. They moved to the family homestead farm in Lincoln Township in 1926. Trevor received his education beginning at Bixler School in Lincoln Township through eighth grade and four years of high school in the Hitchcock, South Dakota school system completing high school as valedictorian of his class in 1938. He then served in the Civilian Conservation Corps.
Trevor married Christina Howland in Lake Andes, South Dakota, on June 3, 1948. They continued residing on the farm until retirement and a move to Huron, South Dakota in 1995. They just celebrated their 68th wedding anniversary.
Trevor was active in the Methodist church in Hitchcock and in Huron, holding many offices. He also was on the Hitchcock school board and township board. He was a successful farmer and was proud that the sixth generation of Bixlers reside and actively farm on the original homestead.
Thankful for sharing his life are: his wife, Christina; and five children, Greg (Roxan) Bixler of Huron, Barb Grant of Watertown, Bradley (Debra) Bixler of Hitchcock, Walt (Lynn) Bixler of Pierre, and Reed (Terri) Bixler of Hitchcock. His ten grandchildren, Zane (Lyza) Bixler, Jacob (Jessica) Bixler, Rebecca (Scott) Gilbert, Chandler (Dana) Grant, Skylar (Erica) Grant, Walter (Eryn) Bixler, Dakota Bixler, Gus Bixler, David (Megan) Bixler, and Jill (Nathan) Rude. Trevor is also survived by seventeen great grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Walter and Esther Bixler; two sisters and brothers-in-law, Thelma and Harold Harms and Shirley and Jens Jensen; one son-in-law, Newell Grant; and one grandson, Travis Bixler.