Funeral services for Delbert C. "Bud" Day will be Thursday, Oct. 25th at 11 AM at the Faith Community Center. Pastor Harold Delbridge will officiate and interment with Military Honors will be in the Faith Cemetery.

A memorial has been established.


Special music will be provided by Butch Samuelson, Arlie Hulm, Terri Kissack and Debra Stewart.

The casketbearers will be Bud's grandsons with his granddaughters, great grandchildren, neighbors, rodeo friends, horse lovers and AA friends considered honorary bearers.


Delbert C. Day, "Bud" to all his friends was born on May 30, 1928 to Delbert and Bernice (Griffith) Day at Deadwood, SD. He was the second of 8 children and grew up on the Day family homestead south of Dupree. There he attended the Fairview rural school. He began working at a young age for area ranchers, shearing sheep, helping with the brandings, and breaking horses. Bud's mother passed away when he was 16 and he helped his father with the care of his younger siblings. He worked with his father in the Black Hills logging for a time. In 1946 he began following the rodeos produced by Eddie Bachman of Faith. He not only helped trail the broncs to the various locations, but competed in saddle bronc, bareback, calf roping, bull dogging, bull riding, breakaway roping, and the wild horse races.


In April of 1951 he joined the US Army and served in Korea. He was discharged in Jan. of 1953 after being wounded in Action. Bud was a Purple Heart Recipient. Returning to Western South Dakota, he resumed his rodeo career and was active in the S.D.R.A, the IRA and NRCA, winning over 40 saddles and 200 buckles, before he stopped counting.


He was married to Iris Carmichael on Dec. 15, 1954 at Bison, SD and they began ranching in the Tri County area. Four daughters and three sons were born to this union. They raised their family on a ranch north of Dupree for 16 years and since 1975 when they purchased her parents ranch along Thunder Butte Creek in Perkins County. They raised and trained Quarter Horses and livestock. Bud continued rodeoing as long as he could, was a certified judge for many years, was an Honoree in the Casey Tibbs Foundation in 1991, and was inducted into the South Dakota Hall of Fame in 1992. The Day's encouraged their children and grandchildren to be active in rodeo and 4-H. He built a training barn on the ranch in 1979 and found much joy in the hours spent training his horses and guiding the youth in the area with their horsemanship. He and Iris were instrumental in the formation of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (Cowboys).


He will be long remembered for loving his family first and foremost and coming in a close second would be the sport of rodeo. He made many friends over the years through rodeo and in later years while watching his grandchildren compete. He loved giving them "pointers" and suggestions.


Bud was a member of the SDRA, NRCA, the American Quarter Horse Assoc. and a faithful member of Alcoholics Anonymous since 1956.


He passed from this life on Oct. 20, 2007 at the age of 79 years, 4 months and 20 days at Fort Meade Medical Center with his loving family by his side.


Grateful for sharing his life are his wife of 52+ years, Iris of Meadow; four daughters, Dency (Dale) Maier of Timber Lake, Karen (Carl) Hinsz of McLaughlin, SD, Jody (Emmett) Thompson of Eagle Butte, SD, and Jackie (Tim) Bernstein of Faith, SD; one son, Justin (Amy) Day of Meadow; one daughter in law, Marshel Day-Huber of Lemmon, SD; 21 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren, Peggy (Spencer) O'Bryan and Skyler Grace; Ardie, Corey and Rorey Maier; Shawn (Jayne) Hinsz and Coy & Carter; Robin Hinsz; Jewel (Donnie) Bettelyoun and Kashlin; Kristen (Jeremy Ferguson) Thompson and Daycen; Shelby and Darwyn Thompson; C. J. Bernstein and Rance, Callie, Cody and Clay Bernstein; Wacey, Kenley and Kaia Day; Jared, Radley, Del Pete Day and Daven Huber; two sisters, Helen (Dale) Packer of Rapid City, SD, Mary (Dick) DeYoe, Belle Fourche, SD; brother, Sam (Ja Lyn) Bruno, Kansas City, MO; sister-in-law, Debbie Day, Howes, SD; aunt, Neva Samuelson, Spearfish, SD and uncle, Darrell (Marlene) Griffith, Faith, and many cousins, nieces and nephews and a host of friends.


He now joins his sons, Darwyn (1989), Duane (in infancy); his granddaughter, Gailup Hinsz (2003); his parents; sisters, Bernice Hughes and Doris Jeffries, his brothers; Lloyd "Tiny" and Kenny Day for that final eternal ride.


Funeral arrangements are placed in the care of Evanson Jensen Funeral Home and Faith Area Memorial Chapel.