THOUGHT FOR TODAY

“He was a politician who was not driven by the power of the pull of the next election. His motives all involved doing good things for other people, not himself. And his compassion for other people had no limits.”
— Governor Walter Dale Miller at his inauguration 30 years ago today, speaking of Governor Mickelson.

PIERRE GOVERNORS SPORTS ROUNDUP

Boys track: At the rescheduled Bob Judson Invitational meet at Hollister Field, the Governor boys acquired nine first-place finishes. Jason Maciejczak won the discus at 166’5″ and the shot put at 56’1/2″. Jared Lutmer was also a double winner, taking the 1600 in 4:31.61 and the 3200 in 10:23.89. Greyson Schuetzle won the 110-meter hurdles in :16.04. Deegan Houska won the 300-meter hurdles in :42.43. Landon Bertram won in the 200 in :23.53. Two Pierre relay teams won their races. Brayden Houlette, Trevor Rounds, Houska and Lutmer won in the 4×400 in 3:46.98, and Bertram, Tayshaun Agard, Jett Zabel and Levi Letellier broke the tape in the 4×100 in :45.54.

Girls track: The Governor girls accomplished six first-place finishes at the Bob Judson Invitational meet. Kali Ringstmeyer was a double winner in the 100 in :12.64 and the 200 in :27.45. Ryann Barry won the long jump at 15′, Anastyn Baade the triple jump at 31’5″ and Reese Terwilliger the shot put at 40’1″. The 4×100 relay team of Kali Ringstmeyer, Grace Richter, Charlee Williams-Smith and Maira Tafoya won their event in :50.54.

Boys track: At the Rapid City Track-o-rama Jason Maciejczak was again a double winner, taking the shot put at 58’9 1/4″ and the discus at 167’8″. Jared Lutmer finished second in the 3200-meter run in 10:04.31. The Pierre medley relay team of Caden Thompson, Landon Bertram, Brayden Houlette and Lutmer placed second in their event in 3:58.29. The 4×200 team of Thompson, Bertram, Houlette and Tayshaun Agard placed third in 1:36.43.

Girls track: Highlighting Pierre performances at the Rapid City Track-o-rama were Kali Ringstmeyer, who won the 200 in :27.14, and Reese Terwilliger, who captured the shot put at 40’8 3/4″. Maya Shorter placed third in the javelin at 116’9″. Danielle Beck was second in the high jump at 4’11”. The 4×200 relay team of Kali Ringstmeyer, Grace Richter, Maira Tafoya and Dani Ringstmeyer finished third in 1:51.38.

Softball (0-3): The Governors lost to Sioux Falls O’Gorman, 19-6, in a six-inning game. The Knights were blessed with nine unearned runs and had two seven-run innings. Pierre RBIs were registered by Bella Tafoya and Khalen Smart. Pierre lost to Yankton, 14-3, in another six-inning contest. Seven of Yankto’s 14 runs were unearned, thanks to seven Pierre errors, but the Gazelles also had 12 hits and six walks. Kara Weiss and Noel Kist each had an RBI for Pierre.

Girls golf: At the Rapid City two-day meet earlier this week the Pierre girls were second with a 148-over-par 724 team score, behind Stevens’ 687 and ahead of third-place O’Gorman’s 758. Madilyn Brakke placed a strong second place overall with a 22-over 166, eight strokes behind the winner. Andrea Mosteller was eighth at 35-over 179, Hadley Hart 14th at +47, Morgan Lisburg 15th at +49 and Hattie Baldwin 19th at +55.

This week’s schedules:
— THURSDAY
Boys tennis: home triangular (vs. Milbank, 11 a.m.; vs. Mitchell, 4 p.m.).
Track and field: at Sully Buttes invitational, Onida, 1 p.m. (canceled)
— FRIDAY
Boys tennis: at Sioux Falls triangular.
Softball: vs. Harrisburg (at Sanford Complex, Sioux Falls), 10 a.m.; Brandon Valley (at Brandon), 4 p.m.
Track and field: home for Pierre Legion Relays, 11 a.m. (postponed to Monday)
— MONDAY
Track and field: home for Pierre Legion Relays, 11 a.m.
— TUESDAY
Girls golf: home for Pierre Invitational, 10 a.m.
Boys tennis: home triangular (vs. Huron, 11 a.m.; vs. Spearfish, 3 p.m.).

STANLEY COUNTY BUFFALOES SPORTS ROUNDUP

Track: At Pierre’s Bob Judson Invitational Barrett Schweitzer won the javelin event at 151’6″. The 1600 medley relay team of Paxton Deal, Brendon Bothwell, Noah Baldwin and Spencer Sargent won their race in 4:06.07. At the Todd County meet Spencer Sargent was a double winner, taking the 800 and 1600. Brendon Bothwell won the 400, and Kaden Montana won the triple jump. The 4×200 relay team of Bothwell, Deal, Broch Zeeb and Colton Brady won their event. On the girls’ side Emily Nemec was the 100-meter hurdles winner, and Raegan Taylor won the triple jump The 1600-meter relay team of Brianna Sargent, Nemec, Grace Sargent and Kaysen Magee won their race, and the 4×800 team of Magee, Gracie Olson, Nemec and Grace Sargent won their event.

Track: At the Big Dakota Conference meet Raegan Taylor won the girls triple jump at 30’6″. Kaysen Magee was second in the 800 in 2:48.0. In boys events Kaden Montana was the triple jump winner at 37’10”, and Paxton Deal was second in the long jump at 18’10 1/2″.

This week’s schedules:
— THURSDAY
Track and field: at Sully Buttes Invitational, Onida, 1 p.m. (canceled)
— SATURDAY
Track and field: at Ipswich meet.
— MONDAY
Track and field: at Pierre Legion Relays, 11 a.m.

SULLY BUTTES CHARGERS SPORTS ROUNDUP

Track: At the Bob Judson Invitational in Pierre Stevie Wittler won the 300-meter hurdles :50.42 and placed second in the 100-meter hurdles in :16.92. Lydia Hill won the discus at 118′ and was second in the shot put at 39’1 3/4″. Olivia Olson was second in the 300-meter hurdles in :50.51.

Golf: The Chargers found a meet not postponed by weather when they went to Yankton last week. In that meet involving 33 schools Wesley Wittler placed fifth in the boys standings with an 82, Gavin Colson was 11th at 87, Thomas Farries 41st at 96 and Landon Hepker 77th at 113. On the girls side Olivia Olson was 12th with a 96 and Berkeley Birney 47th with a 111 scorecard. The boys team placed fourth with a team score of 265.

This week’s schedules:
— THURSDAY
Golf: at Miller invitational, 10 a.m.
Track and field: home for Charger Invitational, 1 p.m. (canceled)
— SATURDAY
Golf: at Ipswich invitational, noon.
— MONDAY
Golf: at Class B Classic, Mitchell, 10:30 a.m.
Track and field: at Pierre Legion Relays, 11 a.m.

ZESTO SHERBET SCHEDULE

Thursday: pina colata.
Friday-Sunday: watermelon.
Monday-Tuesday: key lime.
Wednesday-Thursday: coconut.

BASEBALL UPDATE

Minnesota Twins schedule:
— Thursday: at Boston, 12:35 p.m. (BSN, MLBN).
— Friday: Washington, 7:10 p.m. (BSN).
— Saturday: Washington, 1:10 p.m. (BSN).
— Sunday: Washington, 1:10 p.m. (BSN).
— Monday: New York Yankees, 6:40 p.m. (BSN).
— Tuesday: New York Yankees, 6:40 p.m. (BSN, MLBN).
— Wednesday: New York Yankees, 12:10 p.m. (BSN, MLBN).
— Thursday: Kansas City, 6:40 p.m. (BSN).

Minnesota Twins: The Twins have gone 7-5 over the past two weeks. They took two of three from Houston, won two of three from the White Sox, split a four-game series in New York against the Yankees and split a pair of games in Boston, including a 10-4 win there yesterday.

Oahe Zaps: The successor to the old Pierre Trappers, the Zap will open the baseball season at home at Hyde Stadium against Nebraska May 23-24, followed by home games against Badlands May 26-27-28.

Pierre high school baseball: The Governors were swept by Mitchell, 6-4 and 5-0. In the first game Mitchell gained five unearned runs on only two hits but with three errors and 11 walks. Lincoln Kienholz, Jack Merkwan, Jonathon Lyons and Spencer Easland were credited with runs batted in. In the nightcap the Govs were shut out on only three hits. A doubleheader against Sioux Falls Roosevelt was canceled due to weather. Pierre was also swept by O’Gorman, 10-7 and 10-4. This Friday’s pair against Sioux Falls Jefferson has already been canceled.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the tune without the words and never stops at all.”
— Emily Dickinson

HOCKEY UPDATE

NCAA men’s Frozen Four: The #1 national seed, Minnesota, defeated Boston University, 6-2, in the semifinals while Quinnipiac defeated Michigan, 5-2. In the championship game the Golden Gophers were three minutes away from the national title, but Quinnipiac scored to tie the game and then won on a goal just 10 seconds into overtime, 3-2.

Sioux Falls Stampede: The Stampede lost to Waterloo, 6-5; won over Tri-City, 2-1 after a shootout; lost an overtime game to Sioux City 4-3, and beat Omaha, 2-1. The regular season ends with home games against Fargo Friday and Saturday

Aberdeen Wings: Aberdeen ended the regular season strongly with four straight wins—5-1 and 2-1 in overtime over St. Cloud, then 9-1 and 7-3 also over St. Cloud, clinching a playoff berth on the final night of the regular season. Aberdeen will be home vs. St. Cloud for the first round of the playoffs beginning this weekend.

Rapid City Rush: The Rush split with Wichita, losing in overtime 4-3 and winning 6-3. Then they lost two of three against Idaho winning 2-1 and losing 4-1 and 7-6 in overtime, ending the season with a record of 33-34-5 and not qualifying for the playoffs.

Minnesota Wild: In their last five regular-season games the Wild lost to Pittsburgh, beat St. Louis and Chicago, then lost to Winnipeg and Nashville. That left Minnesota in third place in the Western Conference with 103 points (46-25-11), five points behind the Dallas Stars. That meant the Wild had to open their first-round playoff matchup against the Stars in Dallas. There the Wild won in double overtime, 4-3, in Game 1. Last night in Game 2 the Wild lost 7-3, so the series is tied 1-1 headed back to St. Paul for Game 3 Friday and Game 4 Sunday. Game 5 will be back in Dallas Tuesday.

FOOTBALL UPDATE

Sioux Falls Storm: The Storm stands at 1-2 for the new season. They defeated Iowa, 54-24, and lost to Green Bay, 47-41. They play Green Bay again on the road Friday.

Rapid City Marshals: After winning their season-opening game the Marshals have lost six straight, including a 36-12 defeat at the hands of Sioux City and a 41-6 loss to Southwest Kansas in Dodge City. Rapid City’s next game is April 29 at Omaha.

ONE YEAR AGO IN THE MIDWEEK UPDATE

April 21, 2022: Brianne (Barnett) Roby ran in and finished the Boston Marathon. Her mother, sister and brother-in-law, husband and kids were there to cheer her on. Bri had also qualified for the 2020 Boston Marathon, but that race was canceled due to the Covid pandemic.

BASKETBALL UPDATE

Minnesota Timberwolves: The Wolves have had a hectic past two weeks. They won their last two regular-season games over San Antonio and New Orleans to clinch the #8 seed in the Western Conference, meaning a spot in the play-in tournament at #7 seed Los Angeles Lakers. There the Wolves led all the way until :01.4 seconds remained but didn’t score a point in the last six minutes. Three free throws with one-tenth of a second left tied the game and forced overtime. There the Wolves lost, 108-102, sending them to a final play-in chance against Oklahoma City to decide the final #8 seed. They won there, 120-95, to enter the playoffs against top-seeded Denver. The Nuggets won Game 1, 109-80, then last night the Wolves made a stirring comeback from a huge deficit but lost by 122-113, so the Nuggets lead the series 2-0. Game 3 is in Minneapolis Friday, Game 4 Sunday, then Game 5 back in Denver Tuesday.

SOCCER UPDATE

Minnesota United FC: The Loons finally lost their first game of the MLS season in a 2-1 loss at the hands of Chicago. The next Loons game is Saturday at Seattle.

COUNTDOWN

4 days: Pierre Legion Relays (April 24).
8 days: Pierre Players’ “Jake’s Women” (April 28-30, May 4-6).
12 days: Riggs High awards night (May 2).
14 days: Pierre Education Fellowship’s Evening of Excellence (May 4).
16 days: All-State jazz band and show choir concert, Rapid City (May 6).
18 days: Riggs High band concert (May 8).
19 days: Georgia Morse Middle School band/choir concert (May 9).
21 days: Riggs High choir concert (May 11).
23 days: ESD Conference track and field meet, Brandon (May 13).
24 days: Mothers Day (May 14).
25 days: Boys tennis state tournament, Sioux Falls (May 15-16).
29 days: Minnesota Lynx WNBA season opener (May 19).
30 days: Sully Buttes High graduation (May 20).
31 days: Stanley County High graduation (May 21).
31 days: Riggs High graduation (May 21).
33 days: ESD Conference girls golf tournament, Watertown (May 23).
33 days: Oahe Zap baseball home opener (May 23).
35 days: State track and field meets, Sioux Falls (May 25-27).
39 days: Memorial Day (May 29).

PARKER’S PERSONAL NOTES

• With some of the NBA playoff games now showing on the TNT channel, we see promotional ads for some of the regular programming on that channel we don’t ordinarily watch. One of TNT’s shows I am positive I can do without is the series entitled “Dr. Pimple Popper.”
• A distinguished South Dakota radio journalist, Jerry Oster of WNAX Radio at Yankton, is retiring as of June 1. He has been news director at that station for many years.
• It was a treat to run into long-time Pierre residents Wilfred and Carmen Peterson at the Target store in Rapid City one day last week. The Petersons and I have spent a good many Sundays together at the same worship services at First United Methodist over the years.
• My first two years of teaching from the fall of 1960 to the spring of 1962 were spent at Wessington Springs. Those were the junior and senior years in high school for Gary Schwartz. I sadly learned last week that he has passed away due to cancer. Gary’s girlfriend (now his wife), Myrna Patton, and her family lived next door to the home where I had a room. The Schwartz house was across the street and around the corner. Myrna was two years behind Gary, so I had her in my English class that first year. They were not only excellent students but just great people. Gary was an incredible athlete—great at football and basketball, of course, but track and field was where he excelled. In the WSHS library those two springs we kept a running chart on the wall, listing his discus and shot put distances after every meet. One of those years we hosted our own track meet, and Gary won the hurdles! I remember the sports guy at the Mitchell Republic, when I called in the results, was astounded at that result. Gary was named South Dakota’s Prep Athlete of the Year in 1962. He went on to college at Kansas and graduate school at Ohio University. Then came a 34-year career as a track and cross country coach at Ohio, UMass, West Point, Penn State, Tennessee, then KU where he was head coach for men’s and women’s track and cross country for 12 years. He finished his career in athletic administration at KU. A memorial service will take place Tuesday at Gary’s and Myrna’s retirement hometown of Springdale, Ark. (On a local note, Myrna is an older sister of Verna Spencer of Fort Pierre.)
• If you’re a TV watcher of the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, you will want to mark your calendars for next Wednesday night. A two-hour special featuring dozens of celebrity friends of hers will get together to entertain and share Carol Burnett’s 90th birthday. The special will air from 7 to 9 p.m. CDT on NBC-TV.

WORDS OF WISDOM

“Happiness is a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond your grasp but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.”
— Nathaniel Hawthorne

COLLEGE SPORTS ROUNDUP

Rollins College baseball (Spencer Sarringar): Rollins swept three from Eckerd College. In a 9-8 win Spencer was 1-for-4 at the plate. In a 7-6 victory he was 1-for-1, and his RBI single in the eighth scored the winning run. In a 7-3 win Spencer went 4-for-4, scored twice and drove in a run on a solo homer in the eighth inning. The team traveled across the country to Grand Junction, Colo., and lost two of three there to Colorado-Mesa. In a 10-8 loss Spencer was 3-for-4 and scored once. In a 6-4 win he had a 3-for-4 game, scored once and drove in a run on a seventh-inning single. In a 10-9 loss he was 1-for-5 and scored a run. Now 26-11 overall, Rollings is home Friday through Sunday for three games against Palm Beach Atlantic.

Black Hills State track-field (Frank Becker): At USD’s early-bird meet Frank placed 80th in the 400-meter run in 1:58.99. BHSU goes to the School of Mines meet this Friday.

South Dakota Mines track-field (Erick Colman): At the USD meet Erick placed 31st in the shot put at 43’5 3/4″ and 24th in the hammer throw at 152’3″. At the Nebraska-Kearney meet he placed eighth in the invitational hammer throw event at 162’4″. Mines hosts its own Bauer Open this Friday.

Augustana track-field (Elizabeth Schaefer): At the USD early-bird meet Elizabeth placed second in the 400-meter hurdles with a personal-best time of 1:02.11, which is a provisional qualifying time for the NCAA postseason meets. At the Sioux City Relays she lowered that personal-best time to 1:01.93 in winning the 400-meter hurdles in the 17th fastest time in Division II nationally. She also won the 100-meter hurdles there in a personal-best time of :14.50, which is among the top 50 fastest times in the nation. Augie sends athletes to Northwestern’s Red Raider Open in Orange City this weekend.

Minnesota State-Mankato track-field (Mack Rath): At the USD meet Mack placed 20th in the discus at 132’8″ The Mavericks go to a meet in St. Paul this weekend.

Dakota State track-field (Houston Lunde): At the USD meet Houston placed 34th in the hammer throw at 142’2″ and 45th in the discus at 126’4″. Unfortunately he fouled three times in the shot put. At the Sioux City Relays he was 20th in the hammer throw at 129’8 1/4″ and 30th in the shot put at 38’11 1/2″. The Trojans go to Northwestern’s meet this weekend.

University of Sioux Falls track-field (Jessica Lutmer): At the USD meet Jessica placed eighth in the 1500 in 4:44.92. The Cougars go to Northwestern’s meet this weekend.

Dakota Wesleyan track-field (Cobey Carr, Abby Ferris): At the USD meet Abby placed 42nd in the high jump at 4’5″ and 47th in the long jump at 13’10 1/2″. Cobey was 33rd in the long jump at 18’6″ and 18th in the triple jump at 41’8″. He also placed 21st in the javelin at 128’8″. At the Sioux City Relays Cobey was fourth in the triple jump at 42’11”. DWU will send athletes to Northwestern or USD for meets this weekend.

Northern track-field (Addison Cumbow): At a meet in Pella, Iowa, Addison placed eighth in the long jump at 16’3 1/4″. At a meet at Concordia (Neb.) she was 22nd in the high jump at 4’5″ and 13th in the long jump at 15’1 3/4″. NSU hosts its own meet this weekend.

Northern softball (Tevan Bryant): The Wolves lost twice to USF, swept doubleheaders from Southwest Minnesota State and Wayne State, split a pair with Minot State and lost twice each to Augustana and St. Cloud State. Now 12-26 overall and 6-12 in the NSIC, Northern is scheduled to be home twice Saturday against Concordia-St. Paul, twice Sunday vs. Minnesota State and twice Tuesday against Mary. Tevan did not play in any of the games mentioned.

South Dakota State baseball (Brady Hawkins): The Jackrabbits are now 14-17 overall. SDSU took two of three from Western Illinois. After a 6-3 10-inning win, the Jacks lost 14-4 in a game in which Brady went 1 1/3 innings, allowing two hits, four earned runs and a walk. In an 8-6 win over WIU, he pitched 2/3 of an inning, struck out one and earned the save. SDSU won one over Briar Cliff and Dakota Wesleyan. Then the Jacks swept three from Omaha, 8-4, 9-3 and 12-9. In the latter game Brady went 1 1/3 innings, striking out three of the seven batters he faced and allowed two hits and one earned run. On Tuesday SDSU beat Northwestern, 19-11, in the first home game played on campus. SDSU is scheduled at home Friday through Sunday against St. Thomas, then plays at Nebraska next Wednesday.

Texas State baseball (Peyton Zabel): The Bobcats lost two of three to South Alabama, winning 8-4, then losing 8-4 and 5-4 in 10 innings. Texas State split a pair with neighboring Texas, each team winning on the road. In a 5-2 loss Peyton was the starter, went 2 2/3 innings, allowed three hits, three earned runs and four walks and fanned three. TSU won at Austin, 9-3, then swept Marshall, 5-1, 6-0 and 5-4. On Tuesday the Bobcats defeated nearby Texas-San Antonio, 5-3. Peyton was the starter and got the pitching win, going 3 2/3 innings and facing 14 batters. He gave up two hits and no runs and one walk while striking out five. He gained three outs from fly balls and three from grounders. Now 25-13 overall and 9-6 in conference play, Texas State plays three Friday through Sunday at Troy (Ala.), then hosts Prairie View A&M Tuesday.

University of Sioux Falls softball (Madie Brink): The Cougars swept twinbills from Northern and Mary, split doubleheaders against Augustana and Minot State and lost two to MSU-Moorhead. A pair against Southwest Minnesota State was postponed. USF is scheduled at home Saturday vs. Minnesota-Duluth and Sunday vs. St. Cloud State before a doubleheader at Wayne State next Tuesday.

BIRTHDAYS/ANNIVERSARIES

Thursday, April 20:
Elaina Rounds, Michael Burke, Ty Holsteen, Kristin (Viken) Carlson, Jim Sutton, Steven Gordon, Marlee Casanova, Linda Euneau, Ryan Parker Knox.
— 10th anniversary, Troy/Bonnie (Pitlick) Rus.

Friday, April 21:
Larissa FastHorse, Neil Nemec, Teresa (Zebroski) Murdoch, Melissa Gosselin, Alexander Becker, Ava Stoeser, Vicki (Kinder) Rapp, Mira Garrett, Adam Bertsch, Olivia Graff, Kara (Kurth) Kuiper, Danyelle Angyal, Colette Kemink, Donna Cole.
— 11th anniversary, Jake/Tara Johnson.
— We fondly remember Hyrma Zakahi on her birthday.

Saturday, April 22:
Tim Schmidt, Mark Livermont, Sandra Hepper, Bob Burke, Lindsey (Jungwirth) Costello, Bonnie Bauder.
— 17th anniversary, Todd/DeNeil (Hosman) Taylor.

Sunday, April 23:
Preston Mohlman, Scott Carbonneau, Tara Jo St. Germaine, Karen (Cremer) Hofer, Teva Snodgrass, Shirley Bonhorst, Heather Sperry, Dusty Paulsen, Gracie (Lindbloom) Curtis, Grady Gilmore, Clara Shelbourn (#91).
— 12th anniversary, Brian/Sarah Custer.

Monday, April 24:
Damian Dieken, Sean Devine, Terry Larsen, Karissa Guthrie, Phil Leidholt, Dave Lingle, Briggs Goehring, Autumn Bryant.
— 41st anniversary, Jack/Jill Aadland.
— 11th anniversary, Dustin/Kayla (Gallimore) Witt.
— 13th anniversary, Joel/Kelly (Johnson) Metz.

Tuesday, April 25:
Betty Jones, Cameron Sass, Stephanie (Magedanz) Bartsch, Amanda Olson, Evan Jarvis, Lola Hollingsworth, Jodie (Hickman) Anderson, Peggy Hofmeister, Greg Lakner, Helen Jane Paxton.
— 12th anniversary, Chase/Joanie (Flottmeyer) Blair.
— 12th anniversary, Justin/Holly Artz.
— 37th anniversary, Bob/Laurie Gill.
— 10th anniversary, Trevor/Jackie Fisher.

Wednesday, April 26:
Breslyn Mittleider, Jean Easland, Matt Mitchell, Beth Simon, John Wellhouse, Ellis Mangan, Julie Miller, John Bradley, Nathan Ellenbecker, Susan (Van Camp) Wendelbo, Rebekah (Hartmann) Hlavacek, Brian Chicoine, Sarah Gloe, Susie (Gloe) Hanson, Sheryl Nielsen, Jane Candler, Sully Schumacher.
— 9th anniversary, Will John/Kylee (Lamb) Johnson.
— 9th anniversary, Tyler/Nikki (Koenig) Sullivan.
— 20th anniversary, David/Ann (Beemer) Candler.
— 9th anniversary, Andrew/Ashley Tople.
— 20th anniversary, Dennis/Jackie (Thorson) Richey.

Thursday, April 27:
Leo Sengos, Lacey Hepker, Morgan Lindekugel, Lavin Stoeser, Melinda Christiansen, Matt Blake, Sarah Olson, Isaac Denke, Daulton Mercer, Gene Weischedel, Allyson (Friez) Kreycik, Cora Bartsch, Mary Potter, Mike Leidholt, Mona Oehlerking, Carol (Ebert) Newcomb.
— 16th anniversary, Forrest/Susan (McNeely) Foster.

NEWS OF PEOPLE AND EVENTS

Riggs High senior Abigail Stewart-Fromm has signed a letter of intent to attend Lake Region State College in Devils Lake, N.D., where she will play hockey on that school’s first-ever women’s hockey team next fall.

At the Boston Marathon on Monday Brianne (Barnett) Roby started her second time in that legendary event. At the halfway mark her time was 1:47.00, but at 18 1/2 miles she injured her hamstring, requiring a visit to an emergency room. Also running at Boston on Monday was Carly Heard of Vermillion, whose husband Matt graduated from Riggs High in 1998. This was Carly’s 10th marathon overall. She finished 6,040th among women in the race. Her net time was 3:50.17 (the time between when she crossed the starting line and when she finished). Her gun time was 3:52.28 (the time between when the starter’s gun began the race and when Carly reached the finish). Carly works as director of student services at USD’s Beacom School of Business.

Duane Stratton, 83, formerly of Fort Pierre, died at home in Murdo on April 13. He was a U.S. Army veteran. Survivors include two daughters, Dana (Corey) Baker and Dawn (Doug) Day, and four grandchildren. No service is being held.

Karl and Joan Adam and family of Pierre have been selected as the first Legacy Family of 2023 by the University of South Dakota. Karl and Joan are both USD alumni, and all of their children have attended or are presently attending the university. Karl’s parents, the late Tom and Pat (Mickelson) Adam attended USD, and the fourth-generation legacy extends all the way back to Pat’s father, the late Gov. George T. Mickelson, who enrolled at the university in 1927.

Olaf Larson, 94, died April 6 at Avera St. Mary’s Hospital. His funeral will be held at 2 p.m. this Friday, April 21, at the Vivian Lutheran Church, preceded by visitation beginning at 1 p.m. Mr. Larson graduated from Vivian High School in 1948. He and Julie were married in 1950. They lived on the farm/ranch until a grandson returned to work with his parents, making the fourth generation to operate the ranch. Olaf and Julie moved in 2006 to a home in Marion’s Garden in Fort Pierre. Later they lived at Edgewood Senior Living in Pierre. He is survived by five children, Roger (Wanda) Larson of Murdo, Linda (Dennis) Gerard of Kennebec, Tim (Jan) Larson of Pierre, Tom (Vana) Larson of Vivian, and Chris (Lon) Peters of Murdo; 11 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren. Among those who preceded him in death were his wife in 2018, his parents and nine siblings.

The Riggs High School band came home from its festival competition in St. Louis with several awards, including: first place concert band, gold rating; second place jazz band, silver rating; third place jazz band, silver rating; percussion ensemble, gold rating; adjudicator award; sweepstakes award; two outstanding performance awards—Tiger Duinkherhjav and Megan Rose.

The eighth annual Miles for Murphy 5K fun run and walk will begin at 9 a.m. Saturday, April 29, at the city park in Hartford. Participants will enter through a free-will donation, and all proceeds go to the Kier Murphy Scholarship Fund. Kier, a Riggs High alumnus, was a teacher at the West Central schools in Hartford. He was the son of former Pierre residents Dick and Sandy Murphy of Sioux Falls.

Speaking of the Murphys, Dick and Sandy recently received the Spirit of Downtown award from the Downtown Sioux Falls Association. Their business, Mrs. Murphy’s Irish Gifts, will soon change hands as the Murphys retire and sell their store.

Memorial Mass for Kay Howard, 82, Blunt, who died March 8, will be held this Saturday, April 22, at 1 p.m. at Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic Church in Pierre. Burial will take place at Pleasant Hill Cemetery at Blunt, followed by refreshments and fellowship at the Blunt Community Center. A prayer service and rosary will begin at 6 p.m. Friday at the Isburg Funeral Chapel, preceded by the family greeting visitors from 5 to 6 p.m.

Riggs High senior Rylan Derry has signed a letter of intent to attend Grand View University in Des Moines where he will play soccer.

Dr. Frank L. Dame, 80, Huron, died under hospice care at his home April 7. A memorial service took place April 14 at First United Methodist Church there. Dr. Dame formerly lived and worked in Pierre.

At Beck Motor Company Gerry Sayler was recently recognized for his 22 years of work in the sales department, and Steve Beck was honored for his 32 years with the business.

Lavern Wagner, 74, died April 3 at Avera St. Mary’s Hospital. A memorial service is being held this (Thursday) morning at 10 a.m. at the Isburg Funeral Chapel. Lavern grew up on the family farm northwest of Agar. He served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. He and his wife, Linda, became the parents of two sons. They lived first in Minneapolis where Lavern attended trade school to become a mechanic. They moved to Pierre where he worked as a mechanic until starting his own appliance repair business. Lavern and Linda were divorced. He later met Myrna Gilland, and they became companions for the rest of his life. In addition to Myrna, he is survived by his sons, Lynn Wagner of Pierre and Layne Wagner of Clarkston, Mich.

Former Pierre resident and distinguished pianist Calvin Jones will perform a concert in Pierre at Lutheran Memorial Church at 7 p.m. tonight (Thursday). A free-will offering’s proceeds will go toward Ukrainian relief efforts. Calvin and his wife escaped Ukraine when Russia’s attack on that country began in February 2022. He is currently on a concert tour in the United States, telling Ukraine’s and his family’s story and raising funds to help the people in that European nation.

A team of three South Dakota School of Mines and Technology students, including Kara Huse of Onida, is taking the final steps to build an initial prototype to some day enable remote robotic dentistry. The team has spent the last year working with local dentists in an effort to change the fact that robots have not seen widespread use in dentistry. (News courtesy of the Rapid City Journal)

Oma Marek, 97, died April 5. Her funeral took place at the Kotrba-Smith Funeral Home in Gregory on April 10. Oma and her husband, Joe, were married in 1942. They farmed and raised their family in the Gregory area, then moved into town in 1961. At Gregory High School she was known as the “lunch lady.” She also worked at Buche’s Grocery and with her son-in-law at Plains Printing. Survivors include her daughters, Joan (John) McNeil of Dakota Dunes and Cindi (Jeff) Pochop of Pierre; seven grandchildren, including Kayla (Aaron) Riswold of Danville, Pa., and Garrett (Allison) Pochop of West Des Moines, Iowa; 11 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild. Among those who preceded her in death were her husband and a daughter. Mary Ann.

Matt and Kim Brakke and family hosted their foreign exchange student Dora’s parents from Italy over the Easter weekend. Both families explored the Black Hills and the Devils Tower area of Wyoming.

Scott Bollinger will be retiring in June after 40 years in numerous positions in state government. He currently is commissioner of the Bureau of Administration.

The Riggs High spring play, “The Crazy Cowboys of Pemberly Ranch,” will be performed at 7 p.m. tonight (Thursday) as well as Friday and Saturday at the Riggs theater. The play is a western twist on the Jane Austen classic, “Pride and Prejudice.”

Sandy Peterson this week returned to her home in Rapid City after undergoing surgery in late March. She will have home healthcare for awhile.

Ryder Weischedel, son of Onida natives Terry and Nancy (Lamb) Weischedel of Gettysburg has been named the 2023 University of Jamestown’s Staff Person of the Year. Ryder is director of strength and conditioning and campus wellness at UJ.

“Jackrabbit Joe” Merriam, son of Tyler and Jill Merriam of Brookings, was selected to throw out the first pitch on SDSU softball’s Autism Awareness Day last weekend.

Avera president and CEO Bob Sutton will be leaving his current roles with that health system effective Sept. 30 because of a medical condition requiring intensive treatment, according to an announcement Monday from Avera.

Marlys Schneider, 89, Gettysburg, died April 15 at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, April 22, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Gettysburg. A wake service will begin at 7 p.m. Friday at the church, preceded by visitation beginning at 6. Mrs. Schneider graduated from Milbank High School in 1952. She took a job with the Farmers Home Administration at Gettysburg and married Leland Schneider in 1954. She was a Potter County resident for 71 years. After her husband’s passing in 1985, Mrs. Schneider lived in town. She worked as deputy county register of deeds for many years, retiring in 2003. She is survived by four children, Pat Hardie (Jeff Hagen) of Spearfish, Bob (Kris) Schneider of Sioux Falls (formerly of Pierre), Kathy Schneider (Ed Dodds) of Hart, Mich., and Jim Schneider of Gettysburg; eight grandchildren, including Kacie (Phil) Greenwood and Sara (Matt) Odden, and seven great-grandchildren.

Samuel Ryckman, a graduate student in computer science and engineering at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology who grew up in Pierre, is the winner of the 2023 Ann and Dave Braun Student Inventor Award. The honor comes with $5,000 in cash and a free patent application from McKee, Voorhees and Sease, PLC, or Goodhue, Coleman & Owens, PC. His invention is a differential belt speed reducer that has many applications. By mounting an electric motor inside a gearbox, Ryckman’s invention solves several problems associated with more conventional gearboxes. His differential belt speed reducer can support a wide range of applications from robotics to multiple forms of automation. (News courtesy of the Rapid City Journal)

Services for long-time Onida resident Marcella Richter, 93, who passed away Tuesday at Avera Oahe Manor in Gettysburg, will take place at 11 a.m. next Wednesday, April 26, at the Presbyterian church in Onida, preceded by visitation at 10 a.m. Marcella married Cecil Richter in 1949 in Michigan while he was going to school. They returned to South Dakota and eventually settled in Onida. Marcella taught kindergarten for many years. She is survived by her husband, Cecil Richter; four sons, Murray (Tina) Richter, Michael (Linda Kay) Richter, Gary (Linda Beth) Richter and Kevin (Michele) Richter; seven grandchildren, many great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.

The next Post 8 baseball fund-raising breakfast will be served at the American Legion cabin this Saturday morning beginning at 7 a.m.

Firefighter/medic Eric Hansen has been promoted to the rank of operations lieutenant in the Rapid City Fire Department by interim fire chief Jason Culberson. Eric, whose wife is the former Karin Unkenholz of Pierre, will take over duties at Station 6. He has been a long-time member of the RCFD technical rescue team. He has been with the department since December 2002.

A benefit auction and supper for Dusty Mitchell and family will be held at the auditorium in Highmore this Saturday evening, April 22. Dusty suffered a stroke while in Pierre at National Guard drill last summer. Since then he has had numerous surgeries, hospitalizations and trips to Sioux Falls for treatments, and his health future is still uncertain. Dusty is the son of Bob Mitchell of the Blunt area and the niece of Katie Boe and Mary Kebach among other relatives.

PONDER THIS

“Life is not really measured by years, but by what we do with those years. By that measure George Mickelson lived two lifetimes.”
— the Rev. Don Veglahn at Governor Mickelson’s funeral in 1993