Bruce Lynn Alver

Bruce Lynn Alver passed away peacefully at his home in Laveen, Arizona on Friday night, September 6, 2019, following a long illness. He was 77 years old, and at the end was surrounded by family, friends and neighbors. A memorial service will be 10:00 AM on November 9, 2019 at the Wintz & Ray Funeral Home in Yankton, South Dakota with military honors provided by the Ernest-Bowyer VFW Post No. 791. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the memorial service at the funeral home. Bruce Lynn Alver was born in Sioux City, Iowa on August 27, 1942 to Richard A.L. and Violet Dirks. He is survived by his wife, Cheryl Alver, his daughter, Susan Culp, and son-in-law Peter Culp. Bruce grew up in Springfield, South Dakota. After the untimely death of his mother in 1947, he was adopted by Arne and Josie Alver. He graduated from Springfield High School in 1960. When he was 19, he joined the U.S. Air Force, serving his country from 1961 to 1965. He was stationed in Germany and worked in communications. After his honorable discharge, he attended Southern State Teachers College, earning his Bachelor of Science degree in 1969. He married Cheryl Lynn Sejnoha in December of 1971, beginning their 47-year marriage. Their only child, Susan, was born in 1972. Bruce became a highly skilled master carpenter over the years. He began work in construction shortly after his marriage, starting out in a family business with his uncle, Alfred Stockholm. He later worked with his father-in-law, Joseph Sejnoha, and two brothers-in-law, Gary and Jim Sejnoha, in another family business, Dakota Builders. He continued to hone his craft after moving to Aurora, Colorado, doing expert carpentry and finishing woodwork for high-end custom homes in the Denver region. Bruce and Cheryl lived in Aurora for 23 years. He retired at the age of 67, and in 2013, they moved to Laveen, Arizona where they built a beautiful home and spent considerable time designing and working in their backyard vegetable and flower garden. Bruce was an avid fisherman, spending his happiest days on his boat fishing in the Bottomlands of the Missouri River. He also enjoyed duck and pheasant hunting, and spending time in the outdoors in the peace, quiet and stillness of nature. His time in the Air Force gave him a lifelong love of airplanes. He enjoyed air shows, touring the Pima Air & Space museum, and visiting airplane graveyards. Other hobbies included building scale model airplanes – it fit well with his meticulous and careful nature – and leaves behind countless completed projects that he had built over the years. Bruce was a kind and generous soul. Family meant a great deal to him, and he would often go the extra mile to help a neighbor or friend in need. He was a beloved husband and father and will be missed. Condolences to the family may be sent to Cheryl Alver, 8216 S. 71^st Avenue, Laveen, AZ 85339.