RAPID CITY- Velda E. Brandt, Rapid City, passed away on Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at the Rapid City Regional Hospital Auxiliary Hospice House. Velda and her twin sister, Verlan, were born during a blizzard on November 10, 1919 at a farm near Chester, SD to Herman and Elizabeth (Hussman) Eilers. She attended rural schools in Moody County and graduated from Chester High School. She was teaching at a rural school when the twins enlisted in the Womans Army Corps in August of 1942. She worked as a Nurses Aide for returning veterans in Pauly, NY and was discharged in October 1945. She returned to eastern SD, attended General Beadle State College in Madison, graduated, and resumed her teaching career near Flandreau, SD. She married Edward George Brandt in 1951 and was blessed with 4 sons; Jim (Kathy) Brandt of Derry NH., Bob (Margo) Brandt of Rapid City, Bill Brandt of Boulder, Co., and Jack (Erin) Brandt of Denver, Co. She is survived by her twin sister, Verlan Fererra, Franklin, Tenn., her four sons, four grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, and thirteen brothers and sisters. She returned to Rapid City after Edward retired from the Navy in 1965, taught at the Black Hills Workshop for two years, earned her Masters Degree in Education from BHSC in Spearfish, and taught Special Education at the Vandenberg Building in the Douglas School System until her retirement in 1984. She was very active in the SDEA and held numerous leadership positions within that organization. The second love of her life was her home on top of Edelweiss Mountain behind Pactola Lake, where she lived for over 25 years. She loved exploring old ghost towns and cemeteries, her dozens of plants and flowers, and feeding the deer, turkeys, and the neighbors peacock that came to her back deck almost every day. She was always on the go, playing bingo with the Veterans at Fort Meade and Hot Springs, working with the Navy Mothers Club, the American Legion, and St. Pauls Lutheran Church and School. Hundreds of casual visitors and guests marveled at the fantastic view of the Black Hills and the Western SD prairie from her deck. One of her most treasured possessions was a personal letter from Sen. George McGovern thanking her for inviting him to share the view from her beautiful home. She was an avid reader and collector of books and had over 700 books in her collection when she moved into Rapid City in 2009. Visitation will be at the Osheim & Schmidt Funeral Home from 4-6:00 pm with a prayer service to follow on Sunday, January 29, 2012. Services will be at 10:00 am at St. Pauls Lutheran Church on Monday, January 30, 2012 with Rev. Douglas Free and Rev. Peter Sulzle officiating. Burial will follow at the BH National Cemetery with Military Honors provided by the Rushmore VFW Post 1273 and the South Dakota National Guard. A memorial fund has been established to expand the library at the St. Pauls Lutheran Church and School.