Howard Leroy Saltzman was born March 4, 1926, in Fairbury, Nebraska, the son of Harvey and Sarrah Sophia (Meritt) Saltzman.
He attended high school in Nebraska when WWII started. His parents had to sign for him to join the Navy on his seventeenth birthday. In 1943, he took his basic training at Camp Peary, Virginia, his advanced training at Camp Endicott, Rhode Island, and his jungle training at Camp Parks, California. He then went on to debarkation point at Port Hueneme, California, where he was shipped out to Bougainville, in the Solomon Islands. He was with the 582nd CBMU, which maintained the airstrip, built by the Seabees.
On January 18, 1945, he received his honorable discharge, and began working at several places as a chef, including Texas Medical Center at Galveston as an executive chef. He started working for Lane Guest Ranch in Colorado, in 1965. In 1971, he worked at the Cactus Café in Wall, for one year. This is where he met his wife Bonnie Stacey. After their marriage, they returned to the Lane Guest Ranch, where he worked until 1974. He would work in the summers at the Guest Ranch, and work various jobs in the winter. One of these jobs was at an oil field near Douglas, Wyoming, where he was a chef for the drillers. He talked many times about the oil field fire in 1973, when the nitroglycerin disintegrated his apple pies just out of the oven. In 1974 their son Dennis was born and they returned to Wall in 1975, where Howard was the chef at the Cactus and Bonnie was a waitress. They remained at the Cactus until 1986, when Howard was injured and was unable to work. Then in 1990, he returned to the Lane Guest Ranch, where he worked as a fishing guide in the summers until 2005. Due to health reasons, he quit guiding and remained in Wall, where he has since resided.
He loved to fish, garden, and play pool. He was well known for his oatmeal raisin cookies, which he would distribute throughout town.
Survivors include his wife Bonnie of Wall; two sons Dennis Saltzman and his wife Joyce of Rapid City, and Steven Saltzman; four daughters Roxanne Saltzman, Sandy Saltzman of Beatrice, Nebraska, Barbara Hartig and her husband Larry of Beatrice, Nebraska, and Roberta Sue Saltzman of Denver, Colorado; numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren; four brothers Herman Saltzman of Oklahoma; Rupert “Smokey” Saltzman of Colorado, Bobby Saltzman of South Carolina, and Jerry Saltzman of Denver, Colorado; one sister Roberta Davis and her husband Art of Golden, Colorado; and a host of other relatives and friends.
Howard was preceded in death by his parents; and siblings Leona Kocha, twin brothers Lester and Chester, and Dwight, Leland, and Shirley Nicholson.
Visitation was held 3-5 p.m. on Monday, March 14, at the Rush Funeral Chapel in Wall, and one hour preceding the services at the church on Tuesday.
Funeral services will be held 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, March 15, at the United Methodist Church in Wall, with Pastor Sheri Fadley officiating.
Interment with military honors by the Sturgis Honor Guard, will be held 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 15, at Black Hills National Cemetery near Sturgis.
A memorial is established.

FUNERAL SERVICES
Tuesday, March 15, 2011 – 10:00 a.m.
United Methodist Church
Wall, South Dakota
CLERGY
Pastor Sheri Fadley
MUSIC
Carla Brucklacher - Pianist
Lucille Holsether - Vocalist
“One Day At A Time”
Congregational Hymn
“Amazing Grace”
USHERS
Bernard Foster - Wayne Davis
PALLBEARERS
James Reynolds - Dustin Hauk
Joel Johannesen - Ron Johannesen
Gary Vernon - Jerry Johannesen
HONORARY PALLBEARERS
All Relatives and Friends in Attendance
INTERMENT
Tuesday, March 15, 2011 - 1:30 p.m.
Black Hills National Cemetery
Sturgis, South Dakota