Rex, Cloud, age 90, of Huron, died Monday, October 11, 2010, at SunQuest Healthcare Center in Huron.

His funeral service will be 2:00 p.m. Thursday, October 7, at Congregational United Church of Christ with entombment in Restlawn Memory Gardens Mausoleum with Military Rites by the Huron Veterans Council.

Visitation will be Wednesday from 1-8 p.m. at Welter Funeral Home; or Thursday afternoon one hour prior to the service.

Rex Cloud, son of James and Georgia (Cooper) Cloud, was born on August 3, 1920, at the family home on Frank Street in Sioux Falls, SD. He attended schools in Sioux Falls and graduated from Washington High School in 1938.

Rex started painting signs when he was a teen. When his daughter, Dixie, asked him if he had any special training or where he went to school to learn sign painting he answered, The school of hard knocks. He tried to get a job as a sign painter and hoped that he could learn on-the-job but no one would hire him so in 1938 he just started his own business, Cloud Signs. The first job that he had was for Robitell Theaters and he worked for $15.00/week, 6days/week. He learned a little from that job and bought books and copied what he saw in the books.

In 1939, Rex married LaVonne Montgomery, and they had 2 daughters, Sharon (who passed away several years ago), and Dixie. Rex and LaVonne divorced and he enlisted in the U.S. Navy in August of 1943 where he served for 2 years. During his enlistment he painted signs and also served in the Seabees on the Marshall Islands. Following his honorable discharge Rex returned to Sioux Falls and it was there that he met Mildred Millie Howe and they were married on April 15, 1946, in Sioux Falls.

Rex served in the South Dakota Army National Guard until 1957 when he went on active duty in the U.S. Army. He served in Korea; White Sands, New Mexico for 6 years; and Ft. Bell, VA. After his honorable discharge from the U.S. Army he continued his service in the National Guard until 1980. He returned, once again, to Sioux Falls where he and Millie lived until moving to Huron where he started work painting signs on January 2, 1966. He officially retired when he was 85 years old.

Rex is known as the Sign Painter all over town and just about everywhere you go you will still see his talent.

Rex was a member of the Congregational United Church of Christ; life member of American Legion William Reaves Post #7 of Huron, and VFW Forrest McMullen Post #1776 of Huron. He became a resident of SunQuest Healthcare Center on September 22, 2010.

Rex is survived by 1 daughter, Dixie (Les) Hawkey of Sioux Falls; 6 grandchildren, Shelly (Keith) Brown, Leslie (Sherwin) Bolks, Dallas (Steve) Renli, Krisaundra Butler, Perry Hawkey, and Shad (Patti) Hawkey; 16 great grandchildren; his special friend, Marie Mallon of Huron; 1 sister, Ginger (Robert) Braden of Mitchell; and 1 son-in-law, James Riddle of Arkansas.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Mildred on March 12, 1998; 1 daughter, Sharon Riddle; 1 sister and her husband, Elaine (Milo) Estenson.