Elmer E. Trautman of Rapid City South Dakota died Tuesday, January 24 at the Rapid City Regional Hospital. He was born June 28, 1931, in Bonesteel South Dakota to Fritz and Clarina (Cote) Trautman. He grew up in a time when things were much different than today, he was born at home, his childhood was during the depression in the time of poverty during the 1930s, and in order to survive the family moved from the small towns of Bonesteel and Fairfax to farmsteads. Elmer left home as a young teenager to work in the paper mills of Minnesota and Wisconsin and was subsequently able to return back to Bonesteel with a few bucks in his pocket. It was in Gregory County where he met his life, Lillian Boxa, and he enlisted in the Army Air Corps to serve during the Korean War. Before shipping out, he and Lillian married. They celebrated 60 years of wedded bliss in August of 2011. Elmer graduated from the Sioux City Barber College in Sioux City Iowa, he ran Elmer's Barbershop here Rapid City for 17 years, he worked as the territory manager for Gibson Greeting Cards, then as a car salesman at Frontier Ford. Elmer and Lillian spent a fun filled summer working 20 hour days at the Keystone Souvenir Gift Shop in an effort to reduce their workload they undertook managing the Minors Motel in Keystone. Elmer always enjoyed the outdoors from a young child to an old man who enjoyed sitting in goose pits. In his later years he enjoyed his four grandchildren very much. He was a life-member of the Korean War Veterans and Rushmore VFW Post 1273. Survivors include his wife, Lillian Trautman, Rapid City; a daughter, Joleen (Thomas) Eizember, South Lake, Tex.; 2 sons, Allan Trautman, Rapid City and Jerry Trautman, Sturgis; a sister, Evelyn Odenbach, Rapid City; 2 brothers, Arthur (Frances) Trautman, Fallon, Mo. and Marvin Trautman, Pierre and 4 grandchildren, Seth, Isaac, Thomas and Paul Trautman. He was preceded death by his parents. Visitation will be from 3 until 5 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 29, at Osheim & Schmidt Funeral Home. The funeral service will be at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 30, at Osheim & Schmidt Funeral Home with Rev. Doug Diehl officiating. Interment with military honors provided by Ellsworth Air Force Base Honor Guard and Rushmore VFW Post 1273, will follow in Black Hills National Cemetery. Memorials may be directed to the Korean War Veterans and Rushmore VFW Post 1273.