Funeral services for Charles Birkholt, 91, of Selby will be at 10:30 AM, Friday, June 5, 2026, at St. John Lutheran Church in Selby. Burial will be at Selby Memorial Gardens under the direction of Kesling Funeral Home of Mobridge. Visitation will start at 6 PM with a prayers service at 7 PM Thursday at the church. Charles passed away Friday, May 22, 2026, at the Mobridge Regional Hospital.

Charles Wayne Birkholt was born December 15, 1934 in Mobridge, SD. He attended grade school in Selby and Richmond, California (1943-1945). He attended Selby High School and graduated in 1952. Chuck was drafted into the Army in January 1958 and did his basic training in Ft. Carson, Colorado. He attended communication repair school in Ft. Gordon, Georgia and spent 15 months in Darmstadt, Germany. Before and after his military service, Chuck worked at Cam-Wal electric for 45 years, starting in 1952 as an apprentice lineman, which is a technical term for the guy who gets to run the spud bar to break rocks when digging post holes. He retired as General Manager in 1997.

Chuck married Ruby Schnaible in June 1955. They shared their life, love, and devotion to each other until Ruby passed away on Christmas Day in 2006. They loved to fish and camp on Oahe near Mobridge and spent much time outdoors with family and friends. Chuck and Ruby were active members of St. John Lutheran Church and were devoted community members and supporters of most all community events and happenings.

Chuck initiated a scholarship fund to benefit the regional students attending post-secondary education. The RLC Fund (Ruby Lisa Charles) was dedicated to his wife Ruby and daughter Lisa, who died in infancy. The RLC Fund continues to support graduates from the Selby Area School as well as many children of Venture Communications employees and Chuck’s family members, helping them to pursue their dreams of a college education.

Chuck was frequently called upon to give people rides to appointments, grocery shopping or mail pickup. He affectionately referred his efforts as “UBER 1”. If he wasn’t needed to drive to an appointment, he did an almost daily survey of Walworth County, driving to Java and Mobridge to “check things out”. Driving and showing off his part of the world, to relatives and visitors, from the front seat of his pickup was a favorite past time. Chuck was an enthusiast for all kinds of vehicles but especially his Model A truck – that he and Ruby proudly drove in community parades.

Chuck was a quick and generous supporter of any community need or fundraiser. In almost all cases his contribution contained one simple stipulation, to remain anonymous. Chuck helped many organizations and individuals over the years, most of which will remain unknown as he would have wanted it. Chuck joined the Venture Communications Board of Directors in 2000, retiring from the Board in 2025. He said that it provided some interesting projects to learn about and the chance to gain many new and interesting friends. In 2021, Chuck was inducted into the Rural Electric Co-op Hall of Fame in consideration of his lifelong contributions to the South Dakota Electric Industry.

Charles is survived by his nephews, Marty (Barb) Birkholt, Frank (Alisa) Birkholt and nieces, Kay Birkholt, Mary (Brad) Utpadel and Kesha (Christopher) Harrison, sisters-in-law Frances Birkholt, Mary Jo Marcy, and Janice Schnaible, brothers-in-Law, Robert (Judy) Schnaible and Ray Schnaible. He is also survived by many close cousins as well as many great nieces and nephews. Charles was preceded in death by his wife Ruby (Schnaible) December 25, 2006, infant daughter Lisa Sue Birkholt on April 13, 1965, his parents Charlie and Viola and his brothers Franklin and William.

Light lunch will follow burial at St. John Lutheran Church Hall

In lieu of flowers, a memorial will be given in Chucks name to the American Cancer Society.

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