Galen Wynne Balster

Galen Wynne Balster, age 74, of Decatur, GA, died on Monday, March 4, at his home. He was born December 20, 1949, in Hibbing, MN, to Loren and Laverne (Baker) Balster . He grew up on the Missouri River in Chamberlain, SD where he loved fishing and camping. While working as a short order cook during high school he was nicknamed "Wimpy" for his love of hamburgers. The nickname stuck with him well into adulthood.

Galen graduated from Chamberlain High School in 1968 and earned a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from South Dakota State University in 1972. He began his career working for the South Dakota Department of Transportation in Pierre, SD. As Secondary Roads Engineer, he worked with counties across the state to secure federal funding for roads projects. In 1994, Galen accepted a position with the Transportation Division of the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Aberdeen, SD and began working with tribal governments across the region. In 2005, he took a job with the Federal Highway Administration in Washington, DC, establishing their program to provide direct federal funding to tribal governments for road projects. He retired in December 2015.

Galen married Julie Maxon in 1978 and they had two children, Erin and Justin. He spent many weekends fishing, hiking and camping with friends and family. Galen amassed a vast music collection and regularly went out to enjoy live music. Known for his even temperament and calm demeanor, Galen made friends wherever he went.

Galen is survived by his wife, Julie (Maxon) Balster; daughter, Erin (Joel) Glogowski, son, Justin (Kalyani) Balster, sisters Carla Hubbard of Chamberlain, SD; Lorie (Harold) Bickner of Kimball, SD; Lonna Chilson of Chamberlain, SD, and Jody Elston of Fort Collins, CO, as well as many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his brother, Oren, and his parents, Loren and Laverne Balster.

A celebration of life is will take place at 2pm on Saturday August 3, 2024 in Pierre, South Dakota at the Feigum Funeral Home. A meal will be served at 5pm at the American Legion. Condolences may be sent to A.S. Turner and Sons in Decatur, Georgia at https://www.asturner.com/.

In lieu of flowers, Memorials for Galen may be designated for the American Indian Wokini Scholarship Fund at the South Dakota State University Foundation using the following link:

https://givenow.sdstatefoundation.org/campaigns/24272/donations/new?a=4854132&amt=50.00 , select scholarships for the Wokini Initiative and note the contribution is in memory of Galen Balster. The SDSU Foundation's direct mailing address is Lohr Building, 815 Medary Avenue, Brookings, SD 57006