George C. Weickum

George was born on January 6, 1957, in Winner, South Dakota, to Ralph and Bernice Weickum. The oldest of four children, he spent his formative years as his father’s right-hand man on the family farm outside of Wewela, doing chores morning and evening and attending school in between. There, he cultivated a lifelong love of learning, an appreciation for an honest day’s work, and a deep care for plants and animals alike. He also occasionally engaged in (and often mitigated) varying levels of mischief with his younger brother, Gus.

As his sister Kaylin and younger brother West joined the family, George could often be found with one eye on his chores, one eye on his siblings, and one eye on a fantasy or comic book. With only two eyes, and one usually locked on his book, this often led to many funny family stories that would be told and retold for decades.

George graduated from Winner High School in 1975. When his family later moved to Montana, trading the fields and streams of South Dakota for the meadows, mountains, and rivers of the West, George chose to follow. He quickly fell in love with Montana and spent the next decade exploring its wild beauty.

In the early 1980s, while spending time with his sister Kaylin and her future husband Mike, George met their friend Sherrie. The details of who pursued whom were lovingly debated for more than 40 years, George firmly on one side, and nearly everyone else on the other, but what is certain is that he found a deep and enduring love that became the center of his life.

Finding a new purpose, George left behind the open-ended adventure of his younger years and joined the United States Army. He and Sherrie were married in 1986 in Monterey, California, as he began training as a Russian linguist. Over the next two decades, they traveled the world together and built a life grounded in love and service. They welcomed two children, Harm and Nikki, who were the pride and joy of his life. George spent countless hours reading stories, playing catch, and doing all the small and meaningful things that made him an exceptional father.

George rose through the enlisted ranks, eventually retiring as a First Sergeant in 2007. His commitment to service continued in a civilian role, where he ultimately led the Foundry at Fort Bliss before retiring in 2025, marking nearly 40 years of total service to the Army. Throughout his career, he formed lasting bonds with fellow soldiers and colleagues, whose friendship and support remained strong through his final years. Their presence and support during his illness brought great comfort to both George and his family.

He was preceded in death by his father, Ralph.

He is survived by his mother, Bernice; his wife, Sherrie; his daughter, Nikki; his son, Harm (Alexandra); his beloved grandchildren, Maresa and Lennox; his sister, Kaylin (Mike); his brothers, Gus (Karolee) and West (DeAnn); Sherrie’s siblings, Christina (Scott), Tracy (Shanna), Morris (Denae), and Daryl; and many cherished nieces and nephews.

Burial and a Celebration of Life will be announced.

A graveside military honors ceremony will be held at the Montana State Veteran’s Cemetery in Fort Harrison at 1:30 pm on Thursday, July 16th. A reception at the Missouri River Brewing Company in East Helena, Montana will follow starting at 3 PM.

In lieu of flowers, or if you want to honor his memory, the family recommends donations to the El Paso VA Medical Center, who greatly helped George and the family navigate his illness, the Fisher House at William Beaumont Medical Center so other families will be able to receive the same dedicated and compassionate care he did at Oncology, or to Glacier National Park, one of his favorite sites for beautiful but harrowing wilderness adventures (harrowing optional).