William Dean Galbraith, 85, of Crete, passed away August 11, 2017. He grew up in Savannah,
Missouri, and he was the first person in his family to earn a high school diploma. He attended
Tarkio College on a track scholarship--in between his military service.
Bill was inducted into the Army in August, 1952 (age 20). As a soldier, PFC Bill Galbraith
courageously served two years in Korea, where he was severely wounded in the "Punch Bowl"
by an exploding mortar shell. He was blind for several days, had multiple surgeries to remove
shrapnel, and experienced lifelong scarring. He struggled to recover from those wounds and
silently suffered from their effects for the rest of his life.
After being honorably discharged in 1954, Bill re-enrolled at Tarkio College with slim hopes of
ever regaining his old running form. Through a lot of hard work, he eventually earned back his
athletic scholarship. He was a top contender in his events and established new conference
records. His athletic success later led to his induction into the Tarkio College Athletic Hall of
Fame in 2003, where he will be remembered for exhibiting the true Tarkio spirit for his
courageous comeback from his Korean War injuries.
Bill graduated from Tarkio College with a teaching degree. He met his wife, Doris (Kresak) in
Alexandria, NE, when they were both first-year teachers. They were married in 1961, moved to
Crete in 1967 and have two children and three grandchildren. He was a teacher and coach at
Crete High School for 28 years before retiring in 1989.
He was active in the Crete community as a member of American Legion Post 147, Veterans of
Foreign Wars Post 4959, Grace United Methodist Church, the Masonic Lodge (50+ years), and
The Order of Eastern Star (50+ years). In addition to his Tarkio Hall of Fame membership, he
was awarded the Purple Heart for his combat injuries and received a Quilt of Valor. He
attended an Honor Flight of Korean War veterans to Washington DC in 2013. He coached the
Class B State Boys Track Champions in 1977.
He is preceded in death by his parents Elbert Lee and Lillian Marie Galbraith, brothers Edward
E. and Jack L. (Valerie) Galbraith, brothers-in-law Kenneth Kresak and Kenneth Fulton.
Survivors include his wife of 56 years Doris of Crete; daughter Brenda (Brent) Klanderud of
Bennington; son Gregg (Jennifer) of Chadron; grandchildren Kayley Galbraith, Bailey Klanderud
and Caden Galbraith; sister Norma Fulton and step-brother Lee Wallace and numerous nieces
and nephews. Celebration of Life: Tuesday, 10:30 am, Grace Methodist Church, Crete. Visitation with family: Monday, 6 – 8 pm, Kuncl Funeral Home, Crete.