Funeral services for Monte LaBarge, age 86 of Lemmon, will be 2:00pm Tuesday, January 9, at the Prince of Peace Chapel of the Evanson-Jensen Funeral Home in Lemmon with Pastor Ken Miller, officiating. Burial will be in Greenhill Cemetery with full military honors afforded by the Brattvet-Green American Legion Post #66 of Lemmon.


Special music will be provided by Marily Willey, organist. The Hosmer family will sing "How Great Thou Art."


Serving as casketbearers are Michael Fischer, Jackie Fischer, C.T. Hosmer, Ree Hosmer-Groos, Grant Hosmer, Greg Hosmer. All family and friends are considered honorary bearers.


A memorial has been established.


MONTE VINCENT LABARGE was born August 8, 1920 at Sioux Falls, SD to Clarence J. and Carrie (Haarberg) LaBarge. He grew up in Wakonda south of Sioux Falls starting school at a military school in Kansas City, MO. He also attended grade school in Wakonda and graduated from Wakonda High School. He attended college before enlisting into the U.S. Army on January 20, 1940. He was honorably discharged on August 24, 1945 and moved to Yankton where he persued a degree in education graduating from Yankton College in 1947.


Monte taught in various South Dakota public schools before he began a long career with the Bureau of Indian Affairs as a Teacher/Administrator in North and South Dakota, New Mexico, and Arizona. He furthered his education by taking numerous teaching and administration courses over the years.


Monte was united in marriage to Norma Lorius on February 3, 1973 at Lemmon, SD. Monte continued his career and retired in 1980 from the BIA in Eagle Butte. He substitute taught for a few years in Lemmon.


He had a passion for fishing and photography, capturing anything he could on film. His favorite subjects to teach and talk about were chemistry and physics. He had a terrific memory and loved reminiscing about his time spent in the military.


Monte passed away on Friday, January 5, at the West River Regional Medical Center in Hettinger.


Surviving family members include his wife, Norma, Lemmon; 4 daughters, Sharon (David) Fischer, Bismarck, ND; Maxine LaBarge, Bluewater, NM; Angela (Pat) Mahlberg, Corvallis, OR; Monica Kallstrom, Concrete, WA; 9 grandchildren, Jackie, Mike, Misty, Alex, Amy, John, Crystal, Scott, and Cheryl; 11 great grandchildren; 1 brother-in-law, Neale (Dorothy) Lorius, Lemmon, SD; 1 sister-in-law, Ruth Lorius, Sioux City, IA; numerous nieces, nephews, and special family friends, the Hosmer Family.


Monte was preceded in death by his parents.