Dellard Peltier

Dellard J. Peltier, age 85, of Litchfield died on Thursday, June 26 at the Emmanuel Home in Litchfield. A funeral mass will be held at 11:00 AM on Tuesday, July 1, 2008 at the Church of St. Philip in Litchfield with Father Joseph Steinbeisser officiating. Visitation will be held two hours prior to the service at the church. Interment will be in the Calvary Catholic Cemetery with military honors by the Litchfield Military Honor Guard. Dellard Joseph Peltier, the son of Adellard and Lucy (Dandurand) Peltier, was born on August 18, 1922 in Marshall, MN. A product of the depression, Mr. Peltier worked to raise money to enter into South Dakota State University. After entering school, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1941 and spent the duration of World War II as a medical technician at an outpost in the Aleutian Islands. He never ate salmon or lime Jello again. Upon his return he shuttled troops back home as a medic riding trains from San Diego to connection points in the nation’s heartland. He reportedly stitched up an Army vet with no anesthesia who had gotten into a fight but just wanted to go home. Like many of his peers, Mr. Peltier went back to college under the GI Bill, a revolutionary concept that changed a nation. Returning as an older student, he entered pharmacy school where he met the woman who would be his wife. With minimal science acumen, Irene still credits her pharmacy degree and further success to him. In 1955, Dell moved to Litchfield to open Sward Kemp Drug Store, which he owned for 26 years. Dell is survived by his wife Irene of Litchfield, children Steve (and Marilyn) Peltier of St. Paul, Jo (and Andy) Duplessis of Stillwater, Susan Peltier and Michael Parker of Green Bay, Michael (and Mary Jo) Peltier of Tallahassee, Fla. Ed (and Candy) Mingo of Jacksonville, Fla., and Jim (and Lois) Peltier of Las Vegas. He is also survived by eight grandchildren and a brother Bill (and Mary) Peltier of Litchfield.