Wayne Ellis Overland was born on September 4, 1935, to Ruth and Freeman (Dewey) Overland in Faith, South Dakota. He grew up with seven siblings in the iconic stone house on Pine Creek, where his early years were filled with trapping, hunting, fishing, and a healthy dose of mischief. He and his older brother Clayton developed a particular knack for skunk-trapping—you usually smelled them coming before you saw them.
Wayne attended the Tama School through the 8th grade and completed one year of high school in Faith. In 1955, he went to work for his brother-in-law Merle Bastian as a ranch hand. Four years later, he enlisted in the Army, serving two years as a mechanic. He was also part of a traveling sharpshooting squad, winning numerous competitions and cementing his reputation as someone you really didn’t want to challenge to a shooting match.
After his service, Wayne briefly worked for Ella Ferris as a ranch hand before he and Clayton opened Overland Brothers Service Station in Whitewood in 1961.
Then came June Ann Hackworth—the one bullet Wayne couldn’t dodge. The two were married on August 24, 1965, in Deadwood, SD. They built their life in Union Center, where Wayne worked for Farmer’s Union Oil Co., delivering fuel and stories for over 40 years. They welcomed two daughters, Toni and Karla. In 1979, the couple bought and operated the Union Center Store until its closure.
Wayne will be remembered for his infectious smile, deep belly laughs, slightly inappropriate jokes (especially in mixed company), and his never-ending willingness to lend a hand. He never met a stranger—just folks he hadn’t BS’d with yet. Even though he didn’t spend his Sundays in a church pew, many weekends he communed with “The Lord.” (If you know, you know.)
In his later years, Wayne became a devoted caregiver to June after her stroke, embodying compassion and loyalty.
He was endlessly proud of his grandchildren and was a regular at their sporting events—whether he understood the game or not (volleyball and soccer puzzled him, but basketball was his jam). More recently, he embraced the role of great-grandpa with joy and pride, doting on “James” Lincoln Bennett and “The Girl,” a.k.a. Queenie Greenly Vance.
After June’s passing in 2022, Wayne moved back to Faith to live with Toni and Scott on Flintrock Ranch. There, he found renewed purpose—zipping around in his Kubota, checking cows, opening gates, gardening, mowing, and tackling any task that let him keep busy. He formed a fast friendship with Bleu, the ranch dog, and the two became an inseparable duo. They took regular road trips to Union Center to check the mail, catch up on the local gossip, and—most importantly—stop for lunch to split a burger and a bag of Funyuns. Bleu always got the first bite, but Wayne insisted on the last one.
Since a man can only stay on the ranch so long, Wayne spent about a week a month with Karla, who wined and dined him on chicken fried steaks, strawberry shakes, and his favorite Dinty Moore stew! While he and Mike spent hours in the shop and attended the races.
Things we learned about Dad while having him live with us: Contrary to popular belief, he did not love fried chicken—he preferred chicken strips or nuggets. He liked his eggs cooked hard, not over easy. At ball games, he passed on super nachos but always went for a hot dog or brat. The last goodie in the house? Always safe. Whether it was the final cookie, brownie, muffin, or piece of cake, he’d leave it untouched. He would put jelly on just about anything and had a deep affection for the sweetest cereals known to man—Captain Crunch, Chocolate Lucky Charms, you name it—carefully mixed with Raisin Bran (for health reasons) and exactly one teaspoon of milk. Lastly, you could count on Grampa to signal the end of a holiday evening with a slice of hand pie and an Irish goodbye.
Wayne is survived by his two daughters: Toni (Scott) Vance of Faith, SD; and Karla (Mike) Janssen of Rapid City, SD. He was a proud grandfather to Drew Vance, Madison (Jacob) Bennett, Brock (Alanna) Vance, Allix (Jack) Olson, Olivia (fiancé Ian Wells) Janssen, Carter Janssen, and Sophia Janssen. He also leaves behind two great-grandchildren: Lincoln Bennett and Greenly Vance.
He is also survived by his brother Jack (Kay) Overland; sisters Barb (Richard) Isaacs, Norma Hauser, and Pearl Strong; and a large extended family including sisters-in-law Lorraine Barden, Mary (Leroy) Hix, Judy (Carl) Peterson, Debbie (Marty) Hanson, Bonnie (James) Tallmon, Georgia Moos, Teresa (Brian) Littleton; brother-in-law Rob Smith; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Wayne was preceded in death by his wife, June Ann Overland; his parents, Freeman (Dewey) and Ruth Overland; his brother Clayton; sisters Doris Bastian and Shirley Drum; his father-in-law and mothers-in-law; and numerous brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, and nephews.
A Memorial in Wayne’s name will be given to the Rural Meade Co. Ambulance.
Wayne Overland Service Info
-Visitation: Mon. 7/21/25 from 5-7 at Kinkade Funeral Chapel
-Service: Tue. 7/22/25 at 11am at Kinkade Funeral Chapel
-Burial: Tue. 7/22/25 at 2:30 pm at BH National Cemetery