Bruce Gerdes Mehlhaff

April 25, 1939 - August 2, 2009

Former Rapid City, S.D., resident, Bruce Mehlhaff, passed away Sunday, Aug. 2, 2009, in Seattle. He was born in Eureka, S.D., April 25, 1939, the son of Frederick K. and Lillian Gerdes Mehlhaff. Bruce had a lifelong interest in speech, drama, debate, oratory and music and continued sharing those interests as a high school teacher for several years following graduation from the University of Minnesota. After receiving a Master's degree from the University of Washington, he taught briefly at Worthington Junior College in Minnesota, then returned to the University of Washington for his Master's in Library Sciences. For many years he was a librarian at the Rapid City Public Library and resource librarian at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. He was a member of the First Congregational UCC, the Shrine of Democracy Chorus, Black Hills Community Theater and Germans from Russia Historical Society. He had an avid interest in genealogical research and enjoyed travels to Europe in search of ancestral records. Survivors include two brothers, Dean (Donna) Mehlhaff, Aberdeen, S.D., and Willis (Martha) Mehlhaff, Mina, S.D.; two sisters, Shirley Croonquist, Seattle, and Margaret (Ron) Lemmon, Citrus Heights, Calif.; as well as numerous nieces and nephews.