Nicholas F. Salic, 85

Nicholas F. Salic, age 85, of Fairmont, died Wednesday, April 30, 2003, at Lakeview Methodist Health Care Center in Fairmont.

Funeral services will be held on Sunday, May 4, 2003, at 2 p.m. at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Winnebago with Rev. John Traufler officiating. Burial with military honors provided by Fairmont American Legion Post #36 and Martin Co. V.F.W. Post #1222 will be in St. Mary's Cemetery at rural Winnebago. Visitation time will be from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday at Spencer-Owen Funeral Home in Winnebago and one hour prior to services at the church on Sunday.

He was born Dec. 24, 1917, in Omaha, Neb., the son of Joseph and Katarina (Bendekovic) Salic.

He attended area country schools in the Winnebago area. In 1939, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and was assigned to Co. K, 242nd Inf., 42nd Div. He retired as a 2nd Lt. after five years, participating in campaigns in the Rhineland and Central Europe. He was awarded two Bronze Stars and the Purple Heart. He graduated the U of M School of Agriculture in 1949. He operated his own dump truck, working for Loveall Construction in Winnebago. On Sept. 15, 1953, he was united in marriage to Bernadine "Bunny" Hilger in Winnebago. He continued trucking until renting a farm north of Winnebago. In 1959, he and Bunny adopted four children from Catholic Charities Children's Home in Winona. They were loving and supportive parents and grandparents. In 1967, they bought their own farm north of Granada and continued farming until his retirement in 1990. In 2001, he and Bunny moved to Maplewood Manor Apartments in Fairmont. In 2002, Nick became a resident of Lakeview Methodist Health Care Center, where he resided until his death.

He was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church and American Legion Post #82 in Winnebago. Nick greatly enjoyed classical music, preferring Mozart. He and Bunny spent many winters in Arizona and New Mexico. He looked forward to fall deer hunting trips with his sons, brothers, nephews and friends.

He is survived by his daughter, Denniece and her husband, Gary Trimble, of Austin; daughter, Becky Prom of Appleton, Wis.; son, Mike and his wife, JoAnna Salic, of Edmund, Wash.; son, Jerry and his wife, Mary Dahlstrom-Salic, of Normal, Ill.; six grandchildren; one great-grandchild; sister, Ann Rademaker of Blue Earth; sister, Mary Cupich of Omaha, Neb.; brother, Joe Salic of Fairmont; many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Bunny, in January 2003, his parents, one sister and three brothers.