Alvin A. Munsch

Alvin Arlin Munsch, age 91, of Yankton, went to heaven Sunday, June 7, 2026.

Funeral services are 2:00 PM, on Wednesday, June 17, 2026 at Wintz & Ray Funeral Home in Yankton with Reverend Steve Weispfennig officiating. Burial will be at the Garden of Memories Cemetery in Yankton with military honors performed by the Ernest-Bowyer VFW Post No. 791 and US Air Force Funeral Honors. Visitation is one hour prior to the funeral at the Wintz & Ray Funeral Home.

Alvin was born on March 13, 1935 in Linton, North Dakota to Martha (Bollinger) Munsch and Christian Munsch. After living most of his young life in either the Black Hills area or near the Idaho Rocky Mountains, he had a profound affinity for the mountains. He often recounted his times as a kid tracking bears and mountain lions with his cousins around the Idaho Rockies or watching the 1880’s train travel through the Black Hills.

When he was in high school, he came to live and work in Yankton at the List farm where he acquired many fond memories. It was there he earned the nickname “Bud” or “Buddy”. He often shared his many stories and memories about his time there.

Bud then enlisted in the Air Force after graduation from high school. He earned his hours to become a copilot there. Bud loved to share his many stories about his times in Puerto Rico, Texas, Arizona and Colorado. Because he earned enough copiloting air hours, Bud considered a career as a pilot or copilot in commercial airlines. But he opted instead to go to the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, where he earned his electrical engineering degree. But Alvin continued to have a deep interest in planes, the skies, and space travel for the rest of his life.

After graduating from USD, he married Dee Johnson and moved to St. Paul, MN where his first child, Sharon, was born. Bud then moved the family back to Yankton where he went to work for the Army Corps of Engineers at Gavins Point Dam. It was there he built his dream home on Christiansen Heights and his second baby, Jay, was born. Bud often recalled climbing to the top of the big cranes on the dam to work on them. He worked his way up to Project Manager, and at one point was the Project Manager running both the Yankton Gavins Point and Ft. Randall projects. Bud was a member of various organizations throughout his life including the Masons.

After retiring, Buddy started an electrical engineering consulting and design business called Northland Engineering. He undertook many large projects both in and out of the state, including Crane Youngworth field lighting project with his wife, Dee, assisting him. He enjoyed many years in that business and continued to work at it until finally retiring two or three years ago.

In his pastime, he loved his family trips to the Black Hills and Deadwood. He also loved to go dancing with Dee on the weekends. Buddy was always busy. He loved to listen to a good song (especially country music), play solitaire, hang out with family, go to church, do yardwork, and go shopping with family. He enjoyed fun times going out to eat on the weekends and sometimes just sitting outside on his patio to soak in the outdoors.

He was a big and lively presence who made quite the impression wherever he went. He will be greatly missed by his family and friends.

Alvin is survived by his wife, Dee Munsch of Yankton; daughter, Sharon Munsch of Yankton and brother, Sam Munsch of Rapid City, SD.

Alvin was preceded in death by his parents; son, Jay; brother, Marvin; sister, Florence Bruce; sister-in-law, LaReign Munsch; brothers-in-law, Dave Bruce and Ronald Johnson; and a nephew, Mike Munsch.