Gabriel Delgado Gonzalez, Rapid City, died Tuesday, February 24, 2009, at the Rapid City Regional Hospital. He was born on September 16, 1918 to Urbano Gonzalez and Guadalupe Delgado-Gonzalez at Rio Escondido, State of Coahuila, Mexico. He spent his childhood in San Antonio, Sabinal, and Cline,Texas from 1918-1932. His parents and other family members worked in the asphalt mines at Cline from 1927-1932. His father owned three gravel trucks, which he worked at Dabney Mine #2 and Brown & Root Mine #5. When the Mines closed in 1932, his parents moved back to San Antonio, where he lived until he joined the U.S. Army in 1942. He was inducted in the United States Army-Air Corps on November 12, 1942 at the age of 24 and took his basic training at Sheppard Field, Wichita Falls, Texas as a Glider Mechanic 559. He attained the rank of corporal and served with the 110 Army Air Force Base Unit Division, 1st Troup Carrier Company from November 12, 1942 to December 1, 1945 as a service/crew chief. He was attached to different units as part of his training group and was stationed at different glider bases including the Alliance, Nebraska Glider Base, Pembroke, North Carolina Glider Base and Austin, Texas Glider Base. He earned several citations, including the 1 Service Stripe, American Theater Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal, WWII Victory Campaign Medal and Carbine 2244 Pistol Marksman 45 medal. In 1943, he met Geneva Wilcox of Wanblee, S.D. at Alliance, Nebraska, and married her in 1944 in San Antonio. On Victory over Japan (VJ) Day, he was stationed at Austin, Texas, where he was living with his wife and oldest son. He was honorably discharged from the Army Air Force at Seymour Johnson Field, North Carolina on December 1, 1945. After his discharge from the Army Air Force, he and his wife moved to Wanblee, SD on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. He was one of the founding members of the Little Killer-Russell Bald Eagle Legion Post #269 and was given the Lakota name Wambli Pteca (Short Eagle). From 1946-47, and 1949, he and his wife did farm work in the Nebraska Panhandle. In 1948, he enrolled in the Steven Auto Mechanics School at Kansas City, Missouri where he took body and fender training. In 1950, he did construction work on the Fort Randall Dam at Lake Andes, and from 1951-1957, he did body and fender work for Hemmingsons Garage at Kadoka, South Dakota. From 1958-1963, he worked on bridge construction for Turner Construction Company and Sioux Falls Construction Company, welding and painting bridges on Interstate 90 and Interstate 29 from Sturgis to Elk Point. In 1963, he suffered serious injuries when he fell off a bridge at Sturgis, South Dakota. Thereafter, he worked as a janitor at Rapid City High School and Horace Mann Elementary School in Rapid City until he retired in 1976. From 1976 1979 he and his wife owned and operated Gonzalez Ceramic and Pottery in Rapid City, and were the originators of the Sioux design etching pottery. Gabriel was very patriotic and always flew the U.S. Flag at his home on the Fourth of July, Veterans Day, and other holidays. He and his family lived at Lakota Community Homes from 1970 to 2006. He was responsible for getting LCH to erect a flag pole and fly the U.S. Flag each day. He is survived by four sons, Mario Gonzalez of Black Hawk, Leonard Gonzalez of Rapid City, Larry (Cynthia) Gonzalez of Porterville, California, and John (Charlotte) Gonzalez of Seba Dalkai, Arizona; four daughters, Margarette Rasch, Olivia (Virgil) Gonzalez-Downs, and Brenda (Clarence) McGlynn of Rapid City and Debra (Damon) Wilford of Brooklyn, New York; and 50 grandchildren and 38 great-grandchildren. Also surviving are one brother, Faustino Gonzalez of San Antonio; one sister Margarita Musquiz of San Antonio; and three sisters-in-law, Christine Gonzalez of San Antonio, Zona Brown of Pine Ridge, S.D. and Florence Dillon of Denver, Colorado. He was preceded in death by his wife; his parents; two brothers, Gabino Gonzalez and Gilbert Gonzalez; six sisters, Guadalupe Gonzalez, Manuela Gonzalez, Soledad Hernandez, Anita Bustos, Vicenta Torres, and Dolores Gonzalez; one granddaughter Tammy Rasch; and one great-granddaughter Haven Wilson. He and his wife also had several Hunka (Lakota traditionally adopted) children that included Robert Rasch of Peoria, Ill., Joseph Hogg, Jr. of Murphy, N.C., Gregory Yates of Los Angeles, Calif., Jeff Flannery of Orlando, Florida, Dwight Davis of Tallahassee, Florida, and Jon Kilpatrick of Denver, Colorado. Gabriel was loved by all who had the privilege of knowing him. His family appreciates the care he received from the staff and caretakers of the Golden Living Center Meadowbrook for the past two years and from Drs. Becker, Dearney and Huynh of the RC Regional Hospital. Wake services will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, February 27, 2009, at the Union Hall-Labor Temple, 922 East St. Patrick Street, Rapid City, SD, with Reverend Paul Sneve officiating. Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at the Blessed Sacrament Church, 4500 Jackson Blvd., Rapid City, SD. at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, February 28, 2009, with Fr. Janusz Korban officiating. Burial will be at the Mount Cavalry Cemetery where both Christian and traditional Lakota graveside rites will be conducted. Military honors will be provided by the Little Killer-Russell Bald Eagle Legion Post #269. Services are under the direction of the Osheim-Schmidt Funeral Home. Friends may sign the online register and offer condolences at www.osheimschmidt.com.