Travis Bales, age 37, of 888 18th St. SE, Huron, SD, died Friday, September 18, 2009, at his home after a long battle with cancer.

His funeral service will be 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, September 22, at First United Methodist Church with burial at Restlawn Memory Gardens Cemetery.

Visitation will be Monday from 1-8 p.m. at Welter Funeral Home with the family present from 6-8 p.m.; or Tuesday afternoon one hour prior to the service at the church.

Memorials will be directed to the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation.

Travis Phillip Bales was born on May 10, 1972, in Huron, SD. His parents are Susan (Wessel) Neiffer and Steve Bales. He attended schools in Huron. Following completion of his formal education he worked at Dakota Pork in Huron and LSI in Alpena, until ill health forced his retirement.

On June 16, 1995, Travis married Kelly Marie Schroeder in Huron. They lived in Huron and also their cabin at Lake Thompson.

Travis interests included camping, fishing, guns, boating, shooting fireworks, performing magic tricks, spending time at the lake cabin, and following the Minnesota Vikings, Minnesota Wild hockey team, and the Huron All-Star hockey team.

He is survived by his wife, Kelly of Huron; 2 sons, Cody Schroeder of Huron, and Corey Bales and friend Abby Eide of Watertown; soon-to-be-born grandchild; his mother, Susan Neiffer of Huron; his dad, Steve Bales of Huron; his father, Phil Smith of Sebastopol, California; 1 brother, Jesse Bales of St. Cloud, MN; 2 sisters, Lindsay Bales of St. Cloud, MN, and Becky Smith of Bristol, SD; grandparents, Jerry and Maggie Bales of Huron, Darlene Van Tour of Apple Valley, MN, Doraine Wilson of Huron, and Jackie Bjorke of Huron; his mother- and father-in-law, Allen and Rose Schroeder of Huron; 1 brother-in-law, Chad Schroeder of Alpena; and many aunts, uncles, cousins, and wonderful friends.

He was preceded in death by and infant brother, Jeremy Bales; and grandfathers, Max Smith and Dale Wessel.