PIERRE, SD – Gene was born to Wilber P. and Derva Code (Woldt) Stampe on March 18, 1931 at Madison (SD) Community Hospital. He was the second of three children. At the time the family lived on their 1600-acre west Sully County ranch; raising horses, dairy cattle, oats, and corn. In the 1930’s a small, Sully County ranch did not have telephone service, electricity, or even gravel roads. Derva chose to temporarily move to Madison to be with friends and family in a modern environment during the delivery.

Gene attended grade school in a one-room Sully County school located one mile east of the ranch. After seventh grade the family moved to a 160-acre farm purchased near Rutland, SD. Gene graduated from Rutland High School in 1951.

On November 6, 1953 Gene married Darlene Rose Ripperger of Madison. They lived in Madison for six months before Gene was drafted into the service.

Following army basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, MO, Gene reported to Fort Knox, KY, for advanced training in a tank division. He operated the M36 tank and its big 90 mm recoil tank gun. The M36 was deployed in Korea to challenge Soviet tanks employed by North Korea. Gene was transferred to Fort Riley, KS where he prepared to deploy to Korea. When the time came for his unit to deploy, he and a handful of others were deployed to Germany instead of the post-war standoff in Korea. Gene never knew why he was sent to Germany. In Germany, Gene drove personnel carriers and Jeeps as a part of the on-going post WWII peace-keeping operation.

Gene returned to the states and in May of 1956 the couple moved to the ranch in west Sully County. Gene grew wheat, oats, and corn and raised cattle, sheep and pigs. The couple raised a family of four children on the ranch. They lived there continuously for 57 years; until 2014 when Darlene moved to Pierre for health reasons.

In addition to farming and ranching, Gene began selling Dekalb seed products to friends and neighbors in the latter 1980’s. The early 1990’s was a period when Dekalb developed genetically modified corn varieties that were resistant to insects and tolerant of the application of herbicides. Gene enjoyed selling a good product and business was good. Neighbors remember his red pick-up with the license plate, MR CORN. Gene turned management of the farm/ranch operation over to his son, Tim, in 1994 and continued selling Dekalb seed products until his retirement in 2007. At age 76 Gene sold the Dekalb seed business to Jon Hofer of Pierre.

In his lifetime, Gene witnessed area roads first being graveled and then paved. And he witnessed the ranch’s first use of electricity, running water, telephone service, no-till farming techniques, genetic crop engineering, cell phone service, and internet service.

The Sully County ranch was sold to a trio of investors from Rapid City in 2005. Gene continued living on the ranch as a caretaker until January of 2021. That’s when Gene fell in his home and broke his pelvis. Since that date Gene has been a resident of Avera Maryhouse nursing home in Pierre.

Gene served as a member of the local school board for several years and as Sully County Commissioner from 1982 to 1990. He was a member of the New Life Assembly of God Church in Pierre. He was an active supporter of Sunshine Bible Academy near Miller, SD; where his grandchildren Ashley and Justin attended high school. He was a member of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and of the NRA.

Gene is survived by his sister Marilyn Hanson, of Madison, SD; and his three sons; Scott (Mary) of Spearfish, Tim (Melanie) of Pierre, and Jamie (Jody) of Rapid City, nine grandchildren, a step grandchild and nine great grandchildren.

Gene was preceded in death by his wife, Darlene, parents, Wilber and Derva; sister Shirley Feeney; step daughter Laura Marie LoCoco, and his daughter Cindy Marie Keitch.

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