Funeral services for John David "Jack" Pollard, age 88, of Dupree will be held at 10:00am, Saturday, May 7, at the United Church of Christ in Dupree. Rev Ellis Carr will officiate with burial in the Dupree Cemetery.

Serving as casketbearers are Neil and Jace Birkeland, Carmen and Courtney Dosch, Billy and Jason Fields.


John David Pollard was born June 7, 1916 south of Dupree, on the Cherry Creek Road to pioneer homesteaders John Joseph and Gertrude Florence (Parkhurst) Pollard. Shortly after, the family moved into Dupree where he grew up and was educated. Jack suffered from osteomyelitis as a child and had one leg removed and got around with crutches until fitted with a prosthesis.


His parents were active in the business community. His father, served as Ziebach Co. Auditor and was instrumental in the construction of the Courthouse. At the age of 13, Jack drove a team and wagon hauling bricks from the railroad to the new courthouse project. Following his school days he began working for the local newspaper, the Ziebach County News and became interested in printing. He attended a linotype school in Minneapolis, MN in 1939 and then went to Buffalo, SD where he worked at the Times-Herald before moving to Deadwood, SD to work at the Daily Pioneer-Times. In Dec. of 1943 he and his mother moved to Portland, OR and during the War he worked at the shipyards. Following the War, he opened his own print shop and continued that operation for many years.

Jack loved to travel and on a trip to Alaska he met Genevieve Jablonski and in 1964 they were married in Nebraska, her home. They lived in Tigard, OR where Jack operated his print shop and she was a medical technician. He was an active member of Kiwanis in Tigard and served as President. He also was an avid reader and accumulated many books. He also loved to watch baseball on television, especially the "Cubs".


Later they enjoyed more traveling and had a winter home in Phoenix, AZ. Following her death, Jack returned to his roots in Ziebach Co. and lived on the Birkeland ranch south of Dupree for the last several years.


He had a special love of opera music and had an extensive collection. He will be remembered for his sense of humor and had written in the Ziebach Co. "History of the Prairie Book", "Pop had a horse fall on him, breaking his ankle and leaving him crippled for life. They moved to town after that. It took me several weeks to crawl through the cactus and sagebrush to catch up with them but I finally arrived in Dupree. It has never been the same since..."


Mr. Pollard passed away early Wednesday morning, May 4th at home on the Birkeland Ranch south of Dupree.


Jack leaves one niece, Rose Scott of Hot Springs Village, AR and special friends, Jackie Birkeland and family of Dupree and Carol and Stu Tracy of Phoenix, AZ.


Visitation will be one hour prior to services at the United Church of Christ in Dupree. Funeral arrangements are entrusted to the Faith Area Memorial Chapel, Eldon Jensen Family Funeral Homes of Caring®, Faith, SD.