The Farming Families of Minnehaha County-November 2019

of Minnehaha County NOVEMBER 2019

Meet

EARLE GEIDE

FAITH

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FAMILY

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FRIENDS

/

FARMING

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The Farming Families Magazine | www.agemedia.pub *This | November

of Sioux County

OUR PHILOSOPHY There was a farmer who grew excellent quality corn.

Every year, he won the award for the best grown corn.

One year a newspaper reporter interviewed him and learned something interesting about how he grew it.

The reporter discovered that the farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbors. “How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbors when they are entering corn in competition with yours each year?” the reporter asked.

“Why sir,” said the farmer, “Didn’t you know? The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbors grow inferior corn, crosspollination will steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbors grow good corn.”

So is with our lives... Those who want to live meaningfully and well must help enrich the lives of others, for the value of a life is measured by the lives it touches. And those who choose to be happy must help others find happiness, for the welfare of each is bound up with the welfare of all. ~ Author Unknown ~

Call it power of collectivity.

Call it a principle of success.

Call it a law of life.

The fact is, none of us truly wins, until we all win!

One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.

~ Proverbs 11:24-25 ~

November 2019 | www.agemedia.pub | The Farming Families Magazine

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of Sioux County

SOCIAL SECURITY DEATH & TAXES

PUBLISHERS Garrett and Mindy Gross, AGE Media SOUTH DAKOTA MANAGER Garrett Gross, AGE Media DIRECT ADVERTISING INQUIRIES TO:

(515) 231-9367 garrett@agemedia.pub DIRECT STORY SUBMISSIONS, SUBSCRIPTION REQUESTS AND OTHER CORRESPONDENCE TO: (605) 690-4071 mindy@agemedia.pub © The Farming Families, Age Media & Promotion The Farming Families is distributed free exclusively to the farmers, ranchers and producers in rural Lincoln and Minnehaha Counties in SD. All rights reserved. Content in this magazine should not be copied in any way without the written permission of the publisher. The Farming Families assumes no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs.

Content in articles, editorial and advertisements are not necessarily endorsed by The Farming Families and Age Media & Promotion.

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PUBLISHER’S NOTE November 2019 A few high school friends of mine and I own a BBQ food truck. We do a lot of events and caterings around the Sioux Falls and Parkston areas. We aren’t the world’s best cooks, but we meet a ton of people and have a lot of fun with it.

For the most part, people seem to really enjoy our product as we get phone calls every week for caterings and parties. Recently, we were approached by a wildlife organization to do their winter banquet early next year. They expect a large crowd, and it should be a great time. They had one demand however; they must have cornbread as one of the sides during the banquet. To date, we have never made cornbread and served it to our customers. However, I can remember clear as a bell when I made cornbread in my 1st grade class in celebration of Thanksgiving back in the fall of 1983.

I can still hear the words of my 1st grade teacher, Miss Moran, explaining that if you simply read the 3-4 lines of instructions on the box, the product will come out of the oven perfectly. I did what I was told, and my first experience baking anything as a 7-year-old cook was a smashing success.

When I think about it, I can almost taste the warm cornbread with a little honey on top. I’m not sure what was better—the baked product or the pride I felt knowing we did it by ourselves.

Now, fast-forward 36 years later when I got this request to make cornbread for 500 people. I could still hear Miss Moran’s voice in my ear, “You can do it, if you just follow the instructions on the box.”

We agreed to cater this wildlife organization’s banquet, and I know without a shadow of a doubt that our ribs, brisket and pulled pork will be perfect, and I’m confident the cornbread will turn

out great too. All because Miss Moran showed our class how to make a little batch of cornbread for the Thanksgiving feast we had at school.

It goes without saying, I’ve always enjoyed a good meal and each year Thanksgiving is likely my favorite holiday. I realize the readers of this publication have endured possibly one of the toughest years in decades for the farming community. My hope is that when you read these publications each month, you enjoy the product we produce each month and that you are thankful for getting to know the community members we feature in each issue.

From our family to yours, we wish you a Happy Thanksgiving, and as always, please feel free to contact us with any of your stories or memories about your community or family. It’s always fun to hear about shared memories of events and experiences and how they can come back later in life. Whether it’s lessons on how to make cornbread or something more important, its still fun to hear about.

Garrett Gross Principal AGE Media (515) 231-9367 Garrett@agemedia.pub

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FEATURED NEIGHBOR

MEET EARLE GEIDE:

100 YEARS OF AGRICULTURE AND AVIATION A few miles southwest of Hartford there is a windsock that is perched on a pole off the side of a gravel road. This marks the airstrip that has been used by the Geide family and three pilots that learned to fly here.

The patriarch of the family, Earle Geide, celebrates his 100th birthday on November 12th.

Earle began taking flying lessons in 1942 while in the Army, and this began his 77 years of experience in the pilot’s seat. Earle last flew solo at the age of 98, and if the weather permits, the family hopes to celebrate his 100th birthday with a flight together.

Earle and sign 6

The Farming Families Magazine | www.agemedia.pub | November 2019

Over the years, Earle has seen many changes in Sioux Falls and the surrounding area. He was born at Moe Hospital on the corner of 14th and Main Street in Sioux Falls. This building is now Davenport Evans Law Firm. While growing up in the midst of the Great Depression, his family lived on six different farms in western Minnehaha County and near Monroe, S.D. Earle graduated from Monroe High School in 1939.

Earle as a 7-yr old on a bobsled

In October 1941, Earle was called to active duty in the Army and was assigned to Fort Sill, Okla. and also stationed at Camp Roades, Calif. and near Fort Polk, La., where he started his aviation career.

Following his discharge f rom th e U S Army, Earle purchased a 1940 BL-65 Taylorcraft for $450. The engine had a fresh major overhaul, but the wings needed recovering which cost $200 to complete. Earle would travel 60 miles from his farm to Yankton, S.D. to take lessons for $3 per hour.

On November 27, 1945, Earle soloed in his Taylorcraft N27595. Within two months, with a fresh Private Pilot’s license and just 47 hours total time, Earle set off on a cross-country adventure to Los Angeles, Calif. in the Taylorcraft. His journey spanned more than a month during which he accumulated 90 hours of additional flying time throughout the state of California, across the Sierra Nevada and Rocky Mountains and back to the Midwest.

In 1950, Earle purchased 160 acres of land near Hartford, S.D. He married Cornelia (Connie) Huebschman on June 20, 1953 in Evanston, Ind. Together, they farmed this quarter section along with another 1,400 acres with their son Orrin. Earle used a small portion of their land for an east-west 2,400ft. grass runway that remains today.

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in Aviation and Business Administration. She has her Airline Transport Pilot certificate with Multi-Engine rating along with an Instrument and Multi- Engine Flight Instructor certificate. Joy has over 12,000 hours of accident and incident-free flying. She currently flies charters out of Sioux Falls, S.D. in the King Air 200 and 90 series aircraft.

Earle with his graduating class at Monroe High School (1939)

In 1954, Earle and Connie joined the South Dakota Flying Farmers and Ranchers as charter members which brought affiliation with the International Flying Farmers and Ranchers. They have maintained a highly engaged, active membership in the two organizations for over 65 years. He has held leadership positions including State President for two separate terms, International Flying Farmer Regional Director for many years and was awarded the South Dakota Flying Farmer of the Year in 1973. “We had almost 20 members from farmers in South Dakota alone at one point. It was a great way to meet other farmers who were interested in flying, and once a month, we’d get together somewhere to meet,” recalls Earle.

Earle and Connie hosted numerous fly-ins throughout the years at their grass farm strip and at the Sioux Falls

airport. Their membership in both organizations gave them the opportunity to travel across the United States including Alaska, Canada, the Northwest Territories and Mexico. Their most notable trip was to Costa Rica with a stop in Guatemala where they experienced a 7.2 earthquake on February 4, 1976.

Earle and Connie have two children, Orrin and Joy—both of which are professional pilots.

Earle has been the inspiration and mentor of their children as they began their own flying careers.

Orrin has his Commercial, Instrument, Certified Flight Instructor and Multi-Engine rating. Like his father, Orrin uses aircraft in his farming operation and has logged over 6,500 accident and incidentfree hours.

Joy Geide Hohn has her Bachelor of Arts Degree

Earle has his Commercial Pilot certificate with over 4,000 hours. In addition to owning the Taylorcraft, he has owned several Luscombes, a Swift, a Cessna 172 and a couple of Bonanzas. He currently owns a 1946 Luscombe 8A and a 1961 Bonanza V-tail. Earle and Connie used their airplanes for business (checking cattle), for pleasure (traveling to visit Connie's family in southern Indiana) and for Flying Farmer activities across the United States.

On August 27, 2011, the Federal Aviation Administration Safety Team awarded Earle Geide the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award for 50 years of continuous accident and incident-free flying. On September 8, 2012, Earle was inducted into the South Dakota Aviation Hall of Fame at Black Hills/Clyde Ice Field.

Orrin and Joy, along with her husband Rod and their children, Noah and Camille, all live within one mile of the Geide farm strip where Orrin and Joy learned to fly as teenagers. Earle’s wife, Connie, passed away in August after 66 years of marriage and living in western Minnehaha County.

The publishers of Farming Families and many of your friends and family wish you a Happy 100th Birthday, Earle! May the skies be clear on November 12th and your flight be a great memory!

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The Farming Families Magazine | www.agemedia.pub | November 2019

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FEATURED FAMILY

STRIVING FOR SUSTAINABILITY ON A SMALL SCALE

By Bob Fitch The Twedt family of rural Larchwood includes: Levi, Brian, Leah holding Eve, Cheryl, and Greg holding Abe.

“It is only in sorrow bad weather masters us; in joy we face the storm and defy it.”

– Amelia Barr, American novelist

“It’s amazing how the weather can quadruple your workload.

But you’re committed at that point, so you’ve got to do it,” said Brian Twedt, who farms the Lincoln County ground formerly farmed by his late grandfather, Orval Larson.

Brian also farms with his dad Greg southwest of Larchwood in Lyon County, Iowa.

“It was pretty bad when Dad and I were arguing over which one of the last two years was the worst one for calving,”

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The Farming Families Magazine | www.agemedia.pub | November 2019

Brian said. “You knew you had to watch the cows so close. A lot of nights I’d go out at 8 to check them. And at midnight my wife would text me asking if I was ever coming in.”

Greg said, “For years, when my brother and I were farming together, we calved down here and the cows would calve on a hillside. You’d tag the calves and do whatever you had to do. If you knew it was going to be bad for a day, you’d bring them in. Well, this year, every

single calf born calved in the yard except for the very last one. That’s never happened before.

“Weather is always the biggest struggle in farming. You learn to live with that,” he said. “The last couple years, the livestock end was kind of painful. Right now, the crop end is painful. It’s going to hit some people pretty hard doubling up on that.”

Even in a year such as this one where weather has presented a challenge of one sort or another almost every week, Greg figures he’s at the most rewarding point in his agricultural career – having the chance to farm in tandem with his son.

After graduating from the University of Northern Iowa, Greg started teaching in Bayard, Iowa. He didn’t enjoy teaching that well, so he came home to farm with his father, Russell, and his brother, Gary.

“I grew up just a mile north of here. My brother lives on the home place now. That quarter is a centennial farm.

Cheryl, Robert, Chris and Eric have their business meetings “on the island.”

“I farmed with my brother for quite a few years, and then we split apart. I was selling Pioneer seed for a number of years.

When Brian moved back, then we kind of got into the cows and the farming end of it a little more actively,” he said.

Brian graduated from Iowa State University in 2006 with degrees in animal science and agronomy. “I remember calling Dad when I was going to graduate – when I figured out I was finally going to graduate. I had some job offers in Minneapolis and Colorado.

We just decided I was going to come back and we were going

Greg and Brian Twedt in the pasture.

November 2019 | www.agemedia.pub | The Farming Families Magazine

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to try to get things lined up again.

“I like the livestock side of things quite of bit,” Brian said.

They started with 40 bred heifers in 2006-07 and worked their way up to 70-80 head.

Then they started saving their own heifers and are now up to about 100 head. “We keep our calves and fatten them out.

We retain our own heifers. We breed specifically to get the best we can out of the heifers.

“With help from some guys around here, we started the A.I. process, being pretty selective on what bulls we used. About three years in, we started keeping back what we liked.

We fine-tuned the herd. We’re pretty happy with the direction we’re going with it,” Brian said.

“We’re both a big fan of crossbreeding and getting the best characteristics of both.”

Greg said, “We have Angus bulls and Simmental bulls.

It’s a real good cross for the feedlot end of it. Now we’re using Angus-Simmental cross bulls on some of them.”

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Brian was the district manager for AgriGold Seed Co. “AgriGold was barely even up here when I started. It took a lot of time – people didn’t even know who we were. Dad handled most things here while I was building it up. At night I’d come home and do whatever he had lined up for me.” Building sales in an uncharted territory was challenging, but persistence paid off. “The more doors you knock on, the more people you talk to … there’s the good days when the guy talks your ear off and he’s willing to try some; and then there’s days when the guy will hardly acknowledge you. It’s a very competitive industry.”

Eve was born August 4th.

While still an AgriGold dealer, Brian stepped down as district manager last year to be fulltime on the farm. “Our herd has grown and, about five years ago, I was able to start farming my grandpa’s farm over in South Dakota. That’s probably been one of the biggest eyeopeners. It’s probably some of the flattest ground you can find – and the last few years it’s been so wet, wet, wet.

It’s provided some good life lessons.”

The South Dakota acres are between Canton and Harrisburg and were farmed by his grandfather, Orval Larson.

“My grandpa was the best man in my wedding. We were really close,” Brian said. “Growing up, everything he did I did. And everything he did was farming.

He had a collection of Oliver tractors which I remember learning how to drive on those.

He always helped me with 4-H and FFA my whole life. Farming was just what I wanted to do.”

Brian regularly took livestock to the fair as part of FFA. “My grandpa and dad always helped

Leah, Abe, Brian and Levi Twedt with Brian’s late grandfather Orval Nelson of Canton, SD. For many years, Orval was one of the leaders of the Granite Threshing Bee.

with my FFA livestock. We’d drive around the yard leading two or three steers with a 550 Oliver tractor in first gear.”

Brian was also the president of the West Lyon FFA and was the state’s Star Farmer in agriscience his senior year thanks in part to a job he had with Grand Labs working with baby calves and testing vaccines.

A number of years later, while an assistant coach for varsity wrestling at West Lyon Schools, connections there proved beneficial again. Mutual acquaintances introduced him to his future wife, Leah Olson, a school counselor for the elementary grades there.

Today, Brian and Leah have three children: Levi (5), Abe (2) and Eve (10 weeks). Like her

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mother-in-law, Cheryl, Leah is a native of Canton.

Cheryl has had a long career in nursing. She especially enjoyed being the director of nurses at Fellowship Village in Inwood for 13 years. Even though she’s retired now, she still teaches CNA classes for Northwest Iowa Community College. Greg and Cheryl’s two daughters both live in the Minneapolis area. Denise works in the IT department at General Mills and has two sons and a daughter; while Lori is a teacher and has two daughters.

Greg and Cheryl like to travel when they can. “We try to get out of here for a couple of weeks each winter, somewhere where it’s warm and sunny. If it’s got an ocean, a beach and

a resort, it’s good.” But more often than not, you will find Greg giving Levi and Abe a ride on the Ranger down to “the river,” a creek that runs through the farm. The boys also like to feed the bucket calves and ride in the tractor.

Even though the Twedt farm is relatively small, Brian believes the operation will be successful in the long-term. “We want to see if we can keep this sustainable. We’re a smaller farm so we’ve got to diversify a little bit. That’s why I’ve got to keep my seed dealership.

“We want to keep improving the cow herd. You’ve got to do a better job with what you have if you want to make it.

I’m getting a little better with the technology that’s out there

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both in the field and also with the cow herd, from calving all the way to finish. Ever since 2006-07 when we bought our first cows, we’ve been improving yards, improving pastures. I want to make it so if this is something the boys would ever want to do, they’d have the option,” said Brian.

Greg said, “The whole farming lifestyle lets you be your own boss and gives you a little bit of control of what you do. It’s a rewarding job. Watching your crops grow and your cattle grow, and in the fall when you start harvesting, getting the results of your labors in, that’s always a good time – most years.”

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The Farming Families Magazine | www.agemedia.pub | November 2019

PHOTO BY KEITH DUERKSEN

November 2019 | www.agemedia.pub | The Farming Families Magazine

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KEEPING LOCAL HISTORY ALIVE

TURNER COUNTY CROW HUNT: CELEBRATING 100 YEARS South Dakota has a long and rich pheasant hunting history.

There isn’t a state in the country that has a better reputation for hunting the bird. The first documented pheasant released in South Dakota took place in 1908 in Spink County.

For the next several years, the state purchased an estimated 7,000 birds and released them in Spink and Beadle County.

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Then in 1919, the first recognized state pheasant hunt took place for one day on October 30, in Spink County.

It wasn’t until 1934 that the hunting took place in every South Dakota county. The same year, hunters in Turner County started a tradition of their own. The Turner County Crow Hunt doesn’t carry the name recognition or garner

The Farming Families Magazine | www.agemedia.pub | November 2019

the media attention, but to the participants who compete, it is just as important of an event.

Every year, the Wednesday before the Pheasant Opener, the Turner County Crow Hunt takes place. Dating back to 1919, the event has happened every year except for three years during WWII.

Long-time participant Jim Kasten speaks at the awards dinner.

THE RULES ARE VERY SIMPLE: The hunt starts at sunrise, and all participants must stay within the borders of South Dakota. Each two-person team must have one participant that lives in Turner County. There are two teams/ groups: Clukeman Team and Sanborn Team—one family name with original Parker area roots and the other with Hurley roots. There are 12 two-person teams in each group. The individual two-person team that shoots the most crows wins the event, and the team with the most cumulative birds wins the team competition. The winning two-person team wins the traveling trophy and the losing team of 24 essentially buys the winning team dinner. But, more importantly, that winning team has bragging rights for the next year! On the other end of the spectrum, a Skunk Trophy is also awarded for the team that is unable to bag a crow.

Many of the participants have been involved for years— if not decades. The longest tenured of which is Ken Hofmeister who just completed his 60th crow hunt! Ken is now 84 years old and has several words of advice if you want to win. “Have a good partner!

I had the same one for a long time, but he doesn’t participate anymore. My new partner is a good shot,” explains Ken. If you have never been on a Crow Hunt, the best

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Ken Hofmeister was recognized for his 60th crow hunt this year.

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strategy is to draw them in and take your best shot. Many hunters have decoys and play distressed crow-calls to entice the birds to the area. Picking the right location is also important, and many hunters head west near the Missouri River to find their ideal spot. This year, over 200 crows were shot by the entrants, and the winning team shot over 40 birds.

After 100 years of pheasant hunting and crow hunting, the participants of both endeavors share a love for the activity and the enjoyment of spending time with friends and family. The Turner County Crow Hunt has an appeal unto itself.

However, if you are looking forward to some good crow sandwiches or slow cooked, crock-pot crow, don’t hold your breath!

November 2019 | www.agemedia.pub | The Farming Families Magazine

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COUNTRY NEIGHBOR

THE KUPERS Photos by AllScapes Photography

Wayne Kuper 22

The Farming Families Magazine | www.agemedia.pub | November 2019

Wayne and Mary Kuper’s grandchildren: Cooper, Cole, Carl, Taylor and Lane

When driving west off the Worthing exit from I-29, you will see field after field of corn and soybeans. You will also see various livestock operations with cattle and pigs and an occasional dairy on that drive. A little farther down, if you look closely to the south off Old Highway 44, you will see a fence that’s a bit higher and more reinforced than others in the area. Behind that fence are the elk that Wayne and Mary Kuper raise.

In 1998, Wayne transitioned his operation from running a dairy to raising elk. When he started, elk antlers were in high demand for their unique properties. These antlers are among the fastest growing tissues in mammals; they can grow at a rate of up to 1/4 inch per day. In fact, the only living tissue that grows faster than antlers are some types of mushrooms. Because of these properties, antlers are used in Asia for medical purposes and supplements. Over time, the market for antlers has fluctuated greatly, but the market for elk meat and selling bulls to game preserves has developed. The meat is very lean relative to beef, pork or lamb and is lower in cholesterol and high in protein.

Over the years, the Kuper’s herd grew to peak of about 100 elk and is now about 1/3 of that amount. In

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South Dakota, only a handful of other farms raise elk with a few just starting operations.

The Kupers have learned many things about how elk. Walter states one of the most important rules to raising elk is to keep the gate closed. “It isn’t a matter of if they’ll get out; it’s a matter of when. It is their nature to wander about,” he explains.

Wayne Kuper

Wayne shares, “One time, several got away and one wandered about 12 miles away, and it eventually made its way back to the farm.” They’ve had some other interesting interactions over the years too; wild elk have stopped by to visit and see the herd as well. “We’ve seen other bulls come by the property to visit our cows. I’m not sure if they were able to follow a scent or heard a bugle. We were worried one of our bulls maybe have gotten out, but upon counting them making sure they weren’t ours, this confirmed they were wild elk that visited our place.”

Wayne says his favorite part of raising elk is pretty similar to what other livestock producers enjoy as well: “It’s always great to see the baby calves being born each year and see them grow.” The gestation time for elk is about 8.5 months, so in late September is when the rut starts, and the bulls become very active. This also is an enjoyable time as the elk really start to bugle and call out to the cows. The overall workload to raise the animals isn’t too bad relative to other types of livestock; for the most part, they aren’t high maintenance animals.

The biggest challenge the Kupers have faced over the years is the volatility in the markets for elk related products—both meat and antler products. In the early 2000s, fears of Chronic Wasting Disease really impacted the market, but they’ve never seen any issues in their herd directly.

Wayne and Mary Kuper’s grandsons Cooper, Cole, Carl, and Lane

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The Farming Families Magazine | www.agemedia.pub | November 2019

Wayne and Mary took over their current farm in 1974 as Wayne’s uncle previously lived on the property. Wayne grew up just a 1/2 mile south, so he was very familiar with the area. This is the property where they raised their family; their son, Kristopher, and daughter, Stacy, still live in the area.

The Kupers have five grandchildren, and time spent with them on the farm is always enjoyed.

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COUNTRY NEIGHBOR

EDGAR GOEHRING – A DEDICATED SERVANT OF MANKIND The Sertoma Club is a service club whose purpose is derived from three important words: Service to Mankind. Since 1912, the Sertoma Club has exemplified this mission meeting the needs of the community through volunteering and serving communities around the country—specifically, the Sioux Falls Noon Sertoma Club, which meet s weekly on Tuesdays at noon, supports several community events and activities that align with their service mission.

One of the biggest activities the Sioux Falls Noon Sertoma Club leads are hearing screenings done for over 9,000 elementary students in and around Sioux Falls.

The Sertoma Club also recognizes and promotes others who share a passion for volunteering and serving others.

A former Delmont, S.D. area farmer, Edgar Goehring, exemplified this for many years living both in the Delmont area as well as in Sioux Falls for the past few years.

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Edgar with his children, left to right: Shirley, Merlin, Gaylor, and Jeanette (1956)

Edgar with his children, left to right: Shirley, Merlin, Gaylor, and Jeanette (at Edgar’s 94th birthday celebration)

This past spring, Edgar was awarded the Sioux Falls Noon Sertoma Club’s “2019 Service to Mankind Award”. This was announced on May 21st with Edgar’s family in attendance at a weekly meeting; Edgar passed away on May 23rd. Just this October, the state Sertoma meeting was held in Aberdeen, S.D., and it was announced that Edgar was also recognized as the “South Dakota Winner of the 2019 Service to Mankind Award”.

The Farming Families Magazine | www.agemedia.pub | November 2019

Edgar was born on a farm northeast of Delmont in 1923. His family farmed in both Douglas and Hutchinson counties. As a boy, his family only spoke German in the house, so when Edgar started 1st grade, this was his first real exposure to English. Lucky for him, his teacher also spoke German which made learning English easier for him. He attended a one-room country school through the 8th grade. The following year, he took a year off to work the fields with his father before starting high

school. He graduated in 1941.

Edgar was one of the first members of the 4-H club in Douglas County in 1939, and he went to the State Fair in Huron with his barrow pig. For fifty years, Edgar was a 4-H leader to countless youth, guiding them to further themselves at leadership camps, conservation trips, state fair trips and to National 4-H Congress. The 4-H pledge states, “I pledge my Head to clearer thinking, my Heart to greater loyalty, my Hands to larger service, and my Health to better living, for my club, my community, my country, and my world”. In those fifty years, Edgar must have recited that pledge more than 1,000 times, and he lived it! In 2002, Edgar was inducted into the South Dakota 4-H Hall of Fame.

Edgar started agriculture classes at South Dakota State University in the fall of 1942. However, at Christmas break that year, his father told him he needed his help on the farm, and his college days were over. While still farming, Edgar started a part-time job as an assessor for the township, where his pay was $1.00 per hour. After a few years, he started full time as an assessor for the Department of Equalization and continued to farm.

Edgar at his 94th birthday

Edgar developed many great relationships and friendships with State Fair management, and eventually, he became the Horticulture Superintendent at the age of 80. In 2012, the State Fair Board honored him for all his decades of giving his time and expertise by awarding him a pin in the shape of South Dakota which enabled him to enter the State Fair for the rest of his life.

Edgar also was heavily involved in his church in many capacities throughout his life. He taught Sunday School, was the church treasurer, served on the pulpit committee and was a delegate to state conventions. He also volunteered as a janitor, lawn mower and general handyman. No task was too big or too small.

( )

­

Edgar had a long list of volunteering. He was on the Extension Board for 25 years, the local school board, treasurer of the Delmont Community Club, chair of the Blood Drive and so much more. He even took it upon himself to put up street signs in Delmont after the town turned 100 years old, since there had never been signs up previously.

In 1989, Edgar became involved in the M-2, Man-toMan Program at the state prison in Sioux Falls. Edgar’s responsibility was to befriend the inmate assigned to him and to re-establish a positive image of themselves as well as to prepare them to reenter society. He sponsored ten men in addition to three inmates at the Springfield prison.

To date, none of the men Edgar worked with have returned to prison upon their release.

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November 2019 | www.agemedia.pub | The Farming Families Magazine

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Edgar moved to Sioux Falls in 2001 and immediately started volunteering at the Active Generations Meals on Wheels program. He helped deliver 325+ meals per day to home-bound seniors living in Sioux Falls and Brandon. He logged over 848 volunteer hours in one year when he was 90 years of age!

Twice he was chosen for the Presidents Volunteer Service Award with more than 4,000 hours of volunteering in the Sioux Falls community—the first from President George W. Bush and the second from President Barack Obama.

Edgar chose to focus each day on ways to improve the lives of others, to get things done and to just plain show love for others around him. Edgar Goehring showed that he cared for people of all ages and all demographics. During his 96 years, he was an example of service to mankind, and this is why he was awarded with recognition from the Sioux Falls Noon Sertoma Club and also the Sertoma Club at a state level.

Proud to accept this award posthumously on behalf of Edgar are his 4 children (Jeanette, Shirley, Gaylord and Merlin) along with his 8 grandchildren, 16 greatgrandchildren and 1 great-great-grandchild.

Thank you, Edgar, for your service and your leadership in our community.

Edgar’s daughter Shirley Stach (right) and his niece Dianna Norton (left) accept Edgar’s Service to Mankind award.

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