Aberdeen Magazine September/October 2019

ABERDEEN

POCKET HUNTING GUIDE

TIPS, INSIDER INFO, AND MORE P.46

las sip ofsummer

CONTENTS

REGULARS

04 FROM THE EDITOR

06 THE BUZZ

Your source for what’s happening in Aberdeen.

14 CALENDAR

Never miss an event in the Hub City.

FEATURES

12 THE DAILEY CREATIVE

Get lost in the colorful and abstract beauty of paintings made by artist Michelle Dailey.

16 CARING FOR A COMMUNITY

“We feel that no one should be excluded from getting health care.” Horizon Health Care works in Aberdeen, and other rural communities across the state, to make quality health care a possibility for everyone.

18 A TIMELESS TUNE

Turning 80 never sounded so good! The Aberdeen Community Concert Association is celebrating their milestone anniversary with a crowd favorite and a special holiday feature.

22 A MEETING WITH THE MAYOR

Sit down with Mayor Travis Schaunaman, and his three predecessors, to get an inside look at the work and efforts of Aberdeen’s most influential seat in city government.

26 BUILT BY BRICKS

Derek and Abby Brick share how they’ve created a thriving entrepreneurial and family-focused lifestyle, one step at a time.

 ON THE COVER

32 FALL FASHION

The Farmer’s Wife Boutique makes it easy to transition your favorite summer pieces into a stylish fall wardrobe.

36 DOING WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE

What started as a humble response to a diphtheria epidemic has turned into a legacy of caring for others that is second to none. Hear the remarkable story of the Presentation Sisters.

40 THE WILLIAM BICKELHAUPT HOUSE

Over 100 years ago, the Bickelhaupt family built their dream home in Aberdeen. Today, that home remains in excellent condition, boasting the perfect blend of historic charm and modern updates.

46 ABERDEEN HUNTER INFORMATION GUIDE

South Dakota’s biggest holiday is upon us! Prepare for pheasant hunting opening weekend with this quick pocket guide that has tips, insider info on public hunting areas, and more.

48 COMING SOON!

New construction is popping up all over town. Find out the latest on some of Aberdeen’s most recent building projects.

Who doesn’t want to drink up every last drop of summer? For our cover story, we headed to the Aberdeen Farmers Market, where outdoor activities are happening every Thursday afternoon through October 24. Pictured here is six-year-old Hadalynn Miller. She, along with other models for The Farmer’s Wife Boutique and Wildflowers Clothing, model transitional outfits that go from warm summer nights to cool autumn evenings on page 32. Photo by Christina Shilman.

A few years ago, my husband bought me a willow tree and planted it in our yard for my birthday. As far as life goals go, one of mine had always been to have a willow, my favorite tree, so I could sit under it and read. True nerd status I admit, but I have loved that tree ever since. As I write this in late August from my back porch, I am refusing to put away the sandals and swimming gear, but I can’t ignore how the leaves on my willow are already changing from green to yellow and starting to fall to the ground. An image of a snowdrift from last winter that almost swallowed the young tree whole flashes in my mind, but I quickly block that cold memory out.

In other words, I definitely relate to our cover! I want to collect every drop of summer that I possibly can, and I do not jump into fall excited for pumpkin lattes and leaf piles. If you are like me, flip to page 32 for a gorgeous, end-of-summer photo shoot at our local farmers market. And for everyone who has already tossed out their tank tops in exchange for football jerseys and hunter orange, you’ll find yourself at home reading our Aberdeen Football Heroes story on page 28 and our Hunter Information Guide on page 46.

As always, from this issue you can also expect your usual Aberdeen Magazine favorites. We’re bringing you history in the stories of the Presentation Sisters on page 36 and the William Bickelhaupt House on page 40. For art, check out the abstract and lovely alcohol ink paintings by Michelle Dailey on page 12. Sprinkled in throughout these are features on Horizon Health Care, the Aberdeen Community Concert Association, Derek and Abby Brick, and even a meeting with Aberdeen’s mayors.

So, grab a lemonade (or an apple cider if you must!), kick back, and enjoy another wonderful issue of Aberdeen Magazine.

Jenny Roth, MANAGING EDITOR

THIS ISSUE ’ S CONTRIBUTORS

JENIFER FJELSTAD is a journalism and French major studying at Augustana University. This summer, she interned as a writer and editor for Aberdeen Magazine and Aberdeen Weddings. In her free time, she enjoys dancing in hip-hop and pom styles with the Augustana Spirit Squad.

ISSN 2378-3060

MANAGING EDITOR

Jenny Roth

PUBLISHER

Troy McQuillen

DESIGN

Eliot Lucas

AD SALES

Alyssa Roller

alyssa@mcquillencreative.com

PUBLICATION OFFICE

McQuillen Creative Group 423 S. Main St., Suite 1 Aberdeen SD, 57401 (605) 226-3481

PRINTING

Midstates Printing

SUBMISSIONS

Aberdeen Magazine welcomes your input. Message us your story ideas, drop off historic photos, or stop in for a chat. Email us at: troy@mcquillencreative.com

WEBSITE

www.aberdeenmag.com

PRIVACY STATEMENT

Any personal information, email addresses, or contact submitted to the editorial office or online via our Facebook page will not be sold or distributed. Aberdeen Magazine does wish to publish public comments and attitudes regarding Aberdeen, therefore written submissions and comments on our Facebook page implies permission to utilize said information in editorial content.

TROY MCQUILLEN is a lifelong resident of Aberdeen (except for some college time away from home) and the publisher of Aberdeen Magazine . He collects historical facts and photos, takes photos, and researches local stories rooted in legend and rumor, all in an effort to preserve Aberdeen's history for generations to come.

CHRISTINA SHILMAN is a wife, mom to an amazing little boy, mental health therapist, and owner of Paisley Tree Photography. Her photography business specializes in weddings, seniors, families, children, and lifestyle sessions. She loves capturing authentic and unforgettable moments for her clients.

NEW! ABERDEEN WEDDINGS TO DEBUT THIS OCTOBER.

Keep an eye out for our inaugural wedding issue! Plans are in the works to publish Aberdeen Weddings this October. It will include listings of as many businesses as we can locate in our region that cater to brides and grooms. Feature stories include three recent local weddings, honeymoon destination ideas, decor, dresses, cakes, and more. They will be available at all the Aberdeen Magazine racks around town, at sponsors, and at the McQuillen Creative office.

Aberdeen Magazine is produced exclusively in Aberdeen, South Dakota. All content is copyright with all rights reserved. No content may be shared, copied, scanned, or posted online without permission. Please just ask us first. We’re pretty flexible.

www.mcquillencreative.com

PATRICK GALLAGHER is a regular contributor commenting on Aberdeen’s personality, food options, and history.

YOUR SOURCE FOR WHAT’S HAPPENING IN ABERDEEN

ASIAN MINIMARKET OPENS ON MAIN STREET

A new food market has found a home in downtown Aberdeen.

Thoung and Marsoe Htay manage De De Asian Grocery Store, located just north of Hub Area Habitat for Humanity at 126 South Main Street. They are open every day from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM.

Thoung says many of their goods are tailored to the Karen and Burmese populations. Shoppers can find all kinds of specialty products for the kitchen including frozen foods, produce, canned and boxed staples, snacks, and noodles. The couple owns two storefronts, one in Aberdeen and another that previously opened in Minnesota. // — Jenny Roth

NSU UNVEILS ICONIC WOLF SCULPTURE

Aberdeen’s universities make up the heart of the city. Fittingly, NSU is adding a sculpture to their campus made by a world-renowned artist who discovered his heart for sculpting at the university.

John Lopez studied commercial art and mass communications at Northern for two years in the early ’90s. He says it was here that he began to love bronze casting and sculpture. “I cast my first couple of pieces under the direction of Lynn Carlsgaard, who was my instructor at the time. After that, I was totally in awe of sculpture and started pursuing a career in it.” That career has turned into a remarkable one. After gaining experience in bronze casting, John began creating sculptures in his own way—by welding together salvaged pieces of scrap metal. Many of his works in this now trademark style are on display at the Kokomo Gallery and adjoining sculpture gardens located in his hometown of Lemmon, South Dakota.

John’s first sculpture in Aberdeen will be a life-sized wolf, set to be unveiled on the NSU campus outside the new Harvey C. Jewett IV Regional Science Education Center on September 12 at 3:00 PM. The mascot is made from sheet metal and found objects, some of which may be surprising. “The goal was to capture the motion of the wolf’s fur— the energy and flow of it. Ironically, I used blades that are used to shear sheep to get that effect,” he says. John also added an “N” to the wolf’s side to represent the university and gave him a confident, forward-looking stance and metallic finish that shines even from a distance. A private family donor made the project a possibility for Aberdeen. // — Jenny Roth

 To see more sculptures by

visit www.johnlopezstudio.com

Monday through Saturday from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

Center.

Photo courtesy of John Lopez

John Lopez

or stop by the Kokomo Gallery in Lemmon, open

You can also view John’s sculpture of Chief Red Iron at the Granary Rural Cultural

 A sculpture of NSU’s wolf mascot created by artist John Lopez will be placed on the university’s campus this fall.

Photo by Troy McQuillen

 Marsoe (pictured) and Thoung Htay manage De De Asian Grocery store in downtown Aberdeen.

PERFORMANCE IS KEY AT DAKOTA MUSIC ACADEMY

What is the one thing every musician looks forward to? Performing! With that idea in mind, Andrew Grandpre has founded Dakota Music Academy in Aberdeen. Andrew, who previously taught at Aberdeen Christian School, brings years of both music performance and instruction to the table. He says Dakota Music Academy offers traditional instrument and vocal lessons, but with an added option of joining their Headliner program. Here, students can team up with their peers and get coaching on performing as a band. “The most motivating thing is getting to play in front of an audience—with the sound system and the lights. And that’s really the heart behind the academy, to get kids working together and to create a culture of people who want to play music,” Andrew says.

Dakota Music Academy offers another twist on the original. Recognizing that students want to play the music they like listening to, they have a variety of instructors who give lessons in modern instruments such as the guitar, digital keyboard, bass guitar, and drums. “We understand music theory really well and combine that with a student-driven curriculum so they can play the music they love and learn those fundamentals,” Andrew explains.

The academy is making its home in the basement of the Ward Hotel building at 104 South Main Street. They have completely renovated the space to include a recording studio, three lesson rooms, a waiting area lounge, and up-to-date equipment. Students of all ages (not just kids!) and abilities are welcome. About his new endeavor, Andrew says, “It is the scariest thing I have ever done but equally rewarding. Our hope is that our students keep doing music for the rest of their lives—whether that’s a full-time career or simply playing at their place of worship or in a weekend band.” // — Jenny Roth

 To learn more about Dakota Music Academy head to www.dakotamusicacademy.com or email info@dakotamusicacademy.com.

AREA BUSINESSES REMODEL 1930S BUILDING

An Aberdeen classic has fallen into capable hands. 21 North Main Street was first the site of a John Morrell meatpacking plant built in the 1930s. Additional square footage was added to the structure in the 1960s, followed by a warehouse later on. Today, it is the newly remodeled showroom floor for two longtime area businesses, Interior Design Concepts (IDC) and Grassland Granite.

Dave Arlt has owned IDC for over 45 years. If it involves interior design—countertops, flooring, paint, light fixtures, window treatments, and more—they have both the products and the expertise. This is the fifth location for the business since opening their doors, and Dave says it will be his last. In September, he will officially transfer ownership of IDC to Jill Fonder, an interior designer with over 30 years of experience in the industry. Sharing the new location with IDC is Grassland Granite, a premium granite, quartz, marble, slate, and onyx manufacturer that has been in operation since the early 2000s. Grassland Granite’s natural stone products are custom-made and sought after across South Dakota and worldwide.

IDC and Grassland Granite spent almost a full year transforming the former Morrell building into a showroom-worthy space. They kept much of the original woodwork, beams, light fixtures, and doors in their design, even exposing the walls back to the original brick. Along with preserving the old, they added new updates like windows, a fresh coat of exterior paint, and HVAC.

The new storefront allows the two businesses, who often work together, to serve customers under one roof and to keep their warehouse materials on site. It also gives an old building a bright future. Dave says, “Mostly, we fell in love with the building and thought it was worth restoring instead of being bulldozed. We saw the potential in it.” // — Jenny Roth

 For more information on IDC and Grassland Granite contact Jill Fonder at idcjill@nvc.net or 605-229-0510.

Photos by Troy McQuillen

 Interior Design Concepts and Grassland Granite remodeled the former John Morrell building on North Main into their showroom floors and storefronts. Pictured are Jill Fonder and Dave Arlt of IDC.

 Music instructor Andrew Grandpre recently opened Dakota Music Academy in the Ward Hotel building.

AAUW BOOK SALE FUNDS SCHOLARSHIP DOLLARS

Books, books, and more books! About twenty thousand, to be exact. Aberdeen’s chapter of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) is again kicking off back-to-school season with their annual used book sale at the Super City Mall. The event starts Wednesday, September 4, from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM, and continues Thursday and Friday from 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM, and Saturday from 7:00 AM to 1:00 PM. For easy shopping, every book is priced and sorted by category. AAUW member Joyce Kimmel says, “We have books in just about every genre possible.” Some of these include children’s (which are sorted by a retired teacher and marked at about 5 or 10 cents each), history, nonfiction, fiction, self-help, cooking, and more. Prices start at

10 cents for all books, with most everything costing $3 or less. Everyone in the public is welcome to attend.

AAUW is a nonprofit that has been promoting women’s equality since 1924. In recent years, their work has revolved around helping women achieve equal pay and opportunities in STEM careers. Aberdeen’s chapter has two scholarships for non-traditional students at NSU. All the proceeds from the book sale go toward

funding these as well as the Delta Kappa Gamma scholarship. Last year, their book sale celebrated its 50th year and had the most sales to date, raising just over $10,000. AAUW also hosts a Start Smart program that teaches young women to negotiate for fair pay and supports the annual Women in Science Conference. // — Jenny Roth

 AAUW accepts book donations all year long. To donate, call Dee at 605-225-6713 or find their event on Facebook.

Photo by Troy McQuillen

 AAUW is hosting their annual used book sale this September at the Super City Mall. Pictured are AAUW members, back row l to r: Mary Worlie, Bob Gloss, and Colleen Wallien. Front row l to r: Dee Zahn, Rose DesCamps, Joann Pomplun, Joyce Kimmel, and Sharon Osborne.

THE DAILEY CREATIVE

was

would study to become a nurse. Instead, she is following her love of all things creative and breaking into a new career as an artist.

by JENNY ROTH

Is it ever too late to dive into something new?

“It is definitely never too late,” says Michelle Dailey. Michelle, who had worked as a certified nursing assistant and med aid for twelve years, came across alcohol ink painting while scrolling through Pinterest. It was love at first sight between the local artist and the abstract, flowy medium. She made a list of supplies, found them at the Hobby Lobby, and created her first alcohol ink painting at home. Sounds easy enough, right?

“It was a disaster!” she laughs. “It turned out to be so much more difficult than it looks. But I was determined that I was going to do this.”

That was back in November 2018. Fast forward to today, and she now has her first solo show of alcohol ink paintings on display at the Jane West Gallery in the Capitol Theatre through September 8. The exhibit has darkness and light, metallics and textures—the result of Michelle drawing on several pieces of nature as her influence. “Agates, barn wood, galaxies, greens and blacks from swamps, the ocean—a bunch of different things inspired it! When I go to paint, I never know exactly what I am going to do. It’s whatever I’m in the mood for that day. I just pluck out colors and jump in,” she explains.

Alcohol ink doesn’t stay on the shelves for very long at craft stores, but what exactly is an alcohol ink painting? Michelle describes the product and the technique beautifully, “It is an alcohol based, highly pigmented ink that can be diluted with isopropyl alcohol, allowing for the expansion of the media over the page.” She continues, “The iso alcohol is used as a thinner to obtain delicate shades of color and transparent washes.” People use it to paint ceramic

When Michelle Dailey announced she

going back to school, many people thought the certified nursing assistant

 Artist Michelle Dailey has her exhibit of alcohol ink paintings on display at the Jane West Gallery in the Capitol Theatre through September 8.

tiles, or like Michelle, apply it on canvas or a special water-resistant paper. “The media dries really quickly, but reignites whenever iso alcohol is added, making it truly fluid and at times unpredictable,” she says. The outcome is an abstract mix of colors, shapes, and textures. While working at her kitchen table, which has now been grandfathered into her art table, Michelle uses paintbrushes, a hairdryer, sponges, palette knives, and paint scrapers as tools that add dimension to her work as she sways the inks in and out of the alcohol. It’s messy, but it’s evident in her voice how much she adores the process. To wind down at the end of the day, you can usually find her painting at home with music playing in the background.

LOCAL ART GALLERIES

WEIN GALLERY

Presentation College

1500 North Main Street 605-229-8349

Mon-Fri 8 AM-5 PM

PRESIDENT’S GALLERY, JFAC GALLERY AND STUDENT CENTER GALLERY

The mother of two is also a full-time art student studying on a scholarship at NSU. When people heard she was going back to school, many assumed it would be for nursing. Instead, she has chosen to pursue her BSA in studio art with an interdisciplinary emphasis. This fall marks her sophomore year. She says she wants to “dabble in everything” and ultimately open her own art gallery in Aberdeen upon graduation. Her coursework includes ceramics, sculpture, painting, and mixed media as well as photography, graphic design, and digital imaging. Posting images to social media is what first sparked her idea to pursue a degree in art. “I was a Beach Body coach for a while and was always posting and editing photos and adding words to photos, so I decided to further that and go into graphic design. But when I got into the studio classes at NSU, I just fell in love with being able to create things and I knew this is what I wanted to do,” she says. Last semester, her painting titled “Gypsies” won first place in a student-juried art competition and received the President Purchase Award, making it a part of NSU’s permanent collection.

Michelle posts the artwork she has available for commission on her Instagram account, @the_dailey_creative. She encourages other artists who are just getting started, like herself, to do the same.

“If you are creating things, don’t be afraid to put them out there on social media and let people know! And if you want to take an art class, even one or two just for fun, the faculty at NSU are amazing. I highly recommend it.” //

 To reach Michelle Dailey, follow her on Instagram or email thedaileycreative@gmail.com.

Northern State University 1200 South Jay Street

605-626-7766

President’s Gallery: Mon-Fri 8 AM-4:30 PM, JFAC Gallery: Mon-Fri 8 AM-4:30 PM, Student Center: Mon-Fri 7 AM-4:30 PM and weekends 1-9 PM

LAMONT GALLERY

Dacotah Prairie Museum

21 South Main Street

605-626-7117

Tues-Fri 9 AM-5 PM, Sat and Sun 1-4 PM

ARTWORKS CO-OP GALLERY

Aberdeen Mall

3315 6th Ave SE Suite #48 605-725-0913

Thurs-Sat 11-6 PM & Sun 12-6 PM or by appointment

JANE WEST GALLERY

Capitol Theatre 415 South Main Street 605-225-2228

Open during events, call ahead for additional hours of operation

ARCC GALLERY

Aberdeen Recreation and Cultural Center 225 3rd Ave SE 605-626-7081

Mon-Thurs 9 AM-8 PM, Fri 9 AM-5 PM and Sat 10 AM-12 PM

RED ROOSTER COFFEE HOUSE

GALLERY

218 South Main Street

605-225-6603

Mon-Thurs 7 AM-7 PM, Fri 7 AM-9 PM and Sat 8 AM-9 PM Sun 9 AM-2 PM

Photos by Troy McQuillen

SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER

AAUW USED BOOK SALE

Sept. 4, 6:00 pm – 9:00 PM

Sept. 5 & 6, 7:00 AM – 9:00 PM

Sept. 7, 7:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Super City Mall

 Books in all genres, most priced between 10 cents and $3. For info call 605-225-6713.

ABERDEEN COUGAR CLASSIC GOLF TOURNAMENT

Sept. 14, 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM

Rolling Hills Golf Course

 Fundraising golf tournament by the Aberdeen Hockey Association. Register by emailing acsmith605@gmail.com

AVENGER JOE CONCERT

Sept. 14, 7:00 PM

City Lights Bar & Event Center

 Country rock and pop hits with professional variety band Avenger Joe. Search @AvengerJoe.

ACT PRESENTS: THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST

Sept. 4-7, 7:30 PM

Sept. 8, 2:30 PM

Capitol Theatre

 A performance of Oscar Wilde’s renowned comedy by the Aberdeen Community Theatre. Tickets at aberdeencommunitytheatre.com

WINE WALK

Sept. 24, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Downtown

 Wine and beer tasting and tons of deals in downtown Aberdeen. Info at aberdeendowntown.org

THE WORLD FAMOUS GLENN MILLER ORCHESTRA

Sept. 26, 7:00 PM

Johnson Fine Arts Center

 Big band orchestra with a unique jazz sound. Tickets at aberdeencommunityconcerts.org

NESD CELTIC FAIRE & GAMES

Sept. 14 & 15

Richmond Lake Youth Camp

 Celebrate living Celtic culture with music, food, games, and history. www.nesdcelticfaire.com

OUT OF THE DARKNESS COMMUNITY WALK

Sept. 7, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Odde Ice Arena

 Raise awareness and funds for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Tickets at afsp.donordrive.com

FIELD TO FORK: A FARM TO TABLE CONNECTION

Sept. 7, 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM

Centennial Village

 Five course meal by Chef Jacob Collins using locally sourced products. Tickets at aberdeen-chamber.com

THE ABERDEEN

FALL FLEA MARKET

Sept. 20, 2:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Sept. 21, 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Brown County Fairgrounds

 Flea market and garage sale. Antiques, collectables, handmade crafts, and more. Free admission.

WALK TO END ALZHEIMER’S

Sept. 22, 1:00 PM

Wylie Park

 Raise awareness and funds to fight Alzheimer’s. Register at alz.org/walk

SOUTH DAKOTA

FILM FESTIVAL

Sept. 26-29

Capitol Theatre

 South Dakota’s premier film festival. Four days of film screenings open to the public. www.southdakotafilmfest.org

LIVING HISTORY

FALL FESTIVAL

Sept. 28, 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Granary Rural Cultural Center

 Historic demonstrations and reenactments. Live music, kid’s activities, and concessions. All ages. Free admission. Call 605-626-7117 for info.

CHS HALL OF FAME BANQUET

Sept. 28, 5:00 PM

Central High School

 Social, dinner, 2019 induction ceremony, and reception. Tickets at aberdeen.k12.sd.us

AAHS RESCUE RUN

Oct. 5, 8:30 AM

Centennial Village

 5k/10k run/walk to benefit the Humane Society. Dogs welcome! Register at anewleashonlife.net/RescueRun

GYPSY DAY PARADE

Oct. 12, 9:00 AM

Main Street

 NSU’s homecoming parade. Hundreds of entries, floats, and marching bands. www.northern.edu

REND COLLECTIVE

Oct. 17, 7:00 PM

Civic Arena

 Concert by Rend Collective, Christian Irish folk rock band. Tickets and info at www.echoconcerts.com

THE HANDMADE MARKET

Oct. 19, 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Dakota Event Center

 Handcrafted and repurposed furniture and home décor. Free admission.

OKTOBERFEST

Oct. 5, 1:00 PM - 11:00 PM

Ramkota Convention Center

 Beer and wine garden, craft beer tasting, German food & entertainment, and children’s activities. Search @aberdeensdoktoberfest.

WOMEN ON THE PRAIRIE CONFERENCE

Oct. 5, 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM

Lantern Hall, Presentation Convent

 Featuring keynote speaker Gaye Hanson. Brunch. Register by emailing bgrosz@presentationsisters.org

PUMPKIN PATCH FOR KIDS

Oct. 6, 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Centennial Village

 For children 10 and under, pumpkin picking and barrel train rides. For info call 605-626-7015.

HAUNTED FOREST

Oct. 25 & 26, 6:30 PM - 10:00 PM Wylie Park

 For youth and adults looking for a thrilling and chilling Halloween experience. Matinee from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM on Saturday for trick-or-treaters. Call 605-626-7015 for info.

TRICK OR TREAT DOWNTOWN

Oct. 31 Downtown

 Bring the kids to trickor-treat at businesses in downtown Aberdeen. Check aberdeendowntown.org for more details.

CARING FOR A COMMUNITY

by JENIFER FJELSTAD

or three sweltering days in late April, fourth graders from six Aberdeen schools learned about diabetes, nutrition, and physical activity by sprinting relays around rows of orange safety cones. The distance depended on which food the Horizon Health Care leader of the American Diabetes Association’s “Diabetes Busters” activity announced. Healthy foods equaled fewer cones; unhealthy foods equaled more.

As one of South Dakota’s local Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC), Horizon Health Care is vigilant about keeping every member of the Aberdeen community from falling through the cracks. Their primary care and behavioral health services help many populations, such as small business owners, immigrants, farmers, addicts, children, and the working poor. Because of federal funding, they are able to provide primary care at discounted rates and help anyone no matter their socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, or immigration status. “We really look at populations that are generally underserved or that could benefit from our wide array of services

Under the direction of a compassionate team of providers and staff, a new dawn is slipping across the horizon to make quality health care accessible to everyone in Aberdeen.

 Jessica Ravert Steen, CMA takes care of a patient during a check-up at Horizon Health Care.

Photos by Troy McQuillen

 Horizon Health Care has existed in rural communities across South Dakota for 41 years. Their Aberdeen location is at 506 South Wilson St.

that we offer as an FQHC,” Regional Office Manager Haley Coss said.

Preventative care is a huge part of what Horizon does in Aberdeen. Programs like “Diabetes Busters” plant seeds of healthy living in kids to prevent later struggles with the disease. The program approaches students who are just gaining independence in making their own decisions about physical activity and snacks and brings them and their families ideas for healthy choices. “If we can help our patients be healthier earlier, we shift the cost term from expensive treatment and disease management to much more costeffective, preventative health care,” Chief Operating Officer Christina Konechne said.

To accommodate a range of people, Horizon operates on a sliding fee scale unique to each qualifying patient. “It’s truly not a one-size-fits-all,” Public Relations

and Marketing Director Lexy Eggert said. “Our providers design our care plans in regards to what is best for the individuals.” They especially focus on personalized care for each patient with translation services, transportation help for referral appointments, and follow-up care.

Horizon also combats the drug and opioid crisis with behavioral health teams who help wean patients from addiction without rehab.

“It’s just another part of being primary care. We are caring about physical, dental, and mental health, and drug addiction affects all of that,” Haley said.

Last year, Community Health Centers like Horizon provided primary care, behavioral health services, or dental care to 67,671 South Dakotans, including uninsured patients, veterans, and children.

Their goal is to provide primary care for all community members no matter the obstacle, whether that is money, language, or location. “The reason why we do it is because it’s extremely important that

everyone has access to high-quality, affordable health care,” Christina said. “That’s truly what our mission is.”

Horizon Health Care has existed in rural communities across the state for 41 years and in Aberdeen since 2014. Aberdeen has two certified nurse practitioners, Cassandra Aesoph and Catherine Friesen, onsite X-ray technology, and an onsite lab. “We love Aberdeen,” Haley said. “This is such a cool community. It is exciting and challenging all for its own reasons.” Of Horizon’s core values, collaboration ties closely with the Aberdeen community, forming partnerships between local resources such as schools, Sanford, Avera, and Northeastern Mental Health Center. “A lot of communities don’t have that intentional initiative to focus on the overall health and wellness of their community,” Haley said, “and Aberdeen has this.”

According to Haley, Horizon’s mental health partnerships mean if a patient needs care but cannot afford it, other mental health facilities will refer them to Horizon to receive that care via telemedicine, which acts as a secure video chat between the patient in the clinic and the psychiatrist or licensed clinical social worker in another town. Haley said so far patients have been receptive to telemedicine.

Providers Cassandra Aesoph and Catherine Friesen of Aberdeen and Thyra Crissey, a CNP licensed in behavioral health in Yankton, keep a close relationship regarding the physical and psychological care of each mental health patient, approaching medicine management, therapy, and physical health with teamwork. “It’s actually pretty cool to watch even in our own organization how providers on opposite ends of the state are completely invested in just one person and getting them treated and well,” Haley said.

No matter the obstacle—distance or money—Horizon Health Care wants everyone in Aberdeen to have affordable and quality health care.

“Money or no money, house or job, all that stuff could go away at anytime, but our health is the most important thing,” Haley said. “We feel that in our communities, with our staff, and with our own families. We feel that no one should be excluded from getting health care.” //

 For more information, visit www.horizonhealthcare.org.

 Pictured L to R is the Horizon Health Care team in Aberdeen: Alejandro Hernandez, Catherine Friesen, CNP, Aaron Schneider, Jessica Ravert Steen, Soliris Almestica Colon, Cheri Pudwill, and Haley Coss. Not Pictured are: Cassandra Aesoph, CNP, Clayton Nelson, and Kris Strohfus.

 Lab Manager Aaron Schneider, MLT works in Horizon Health Care’s onsite lab.

“We love Aberdeen. This is such a cool community.”

A TIMELESS TUNE

by JENIFER FJELSTAD

he Aberdeen Community Concert Association (ACCA) has been the premier organization bringing musical performances to Aberdeen since 1938. To celebrate their 80th year, this season they are hosting both a crowd favorite and a special feature.

Aberdeen knew the organization as the Aberdeen Civic Music Association until 1957, when it transitioned to affiliation with the Community Concert Organization. In 1965, the ACCA was restructured into a nonprofit, and since 2004, they have worked with Live on Stage to bring high-quality performers to Aberdeen.

Bea Premack, who served on the ACCA board for 18 years including being chairwoman from 1963-1968,

For 80 years and counting, the Aberdeen Community Concert Association has made live entertainment a staple in the Hub City.

emphasized that the ACCA has always been a major leader in bringing high-profile performances to Aberdeen, especially in the years before the city formed other organizations for the musical arts. “There were world-renowned musicians, choruses, symphonies, and ballets,” she said. “Community Concerts has just been a wonderful organization for a lot of years.” Collaborating with orchestra, city band, and choral groups throughout Aberdeen, the ACCA remains important in connecting the local arts community with performance and attendance opportunities. They also work with local schools by partnering with NSU to host the South Dakota Jazz Festival and by inviting area students to free matinée performances each season.

TREASURED MEMORIES

From her involvement in the 1960s, Bea recounted memories of the organization that she said sparked an appreciation for the arts in Aberdeen as couples, families, and large college groups attended the performances and connected with national and worldwide musicians. “One of the things that was so wonderful about working with this organization is you had an opportunity to meet some of the most famous people in the world,” she said.

Cellist Leonard Rose performed in Aberdeen on November 23, 1963, the day after President Kennedy’s assassination. After the show, board members gathered in the Premack’s living room in front of the television, listening to Rose reflect with them on his memories of performing for the Kennedy family.

“Of course, one of the treasures for me was that during the years that I was active, the performers—many of them—were from the Metropolitan Opera,” Bea said. She recalled how “one of the most famous stars in the world,” Richard Tucker of the Metropolitan Opera, performed a soldout concert in the Civic Arena in 1967. Afterward, Bea hosted a reception in her home, and in a twist of scheduling, the reception included only Bea, her husband Herschel, Richard Tucker, and his accompanist. “We had a solo performance,” Bea said. “He sang to us in our home.”

That night was the start of a personal relationship between Tucker and the Premacks, who later visited him backstage at his Minneapolis performance. At Tucker’s death in 1975, his wife wrote a personal letter to the Premacks thanking them for their friendship. “It’s just amazing that she would have done such a special thing,” Bea said.

Photo by Troy McQuillen

 Pictured are the Aberdeen Community Concert Association Board Members. Back row L to R: Gene Morsching, William Duncan, Martin Albl, Cindy Schumacher, Dr. Ken Boulton, Kathy Nipp, Dr. Douglas Ohmer, Scott Kram, and Dave Nikolas. Front row L to R: Patricia Podoll, Erin Giovannini, Nan Reierson, Brenda Lanphere, Barbara Paepke, and Tena Gibson. Not pictured are Wes Elliott, Ronald Jarrett, and Jerry Letcher.

 Richard Tucker of the Metropolitan Opera

The frequent appearance of Metropolitan Opera singers stands as a testament to the historic quality and high status of ACCA concerts.

80TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

In addition to their regular season, the ACCA will host the Medora Musical’s touring Christmas variety show on Sunday, December 1, at 4:00 PM at the Johnson Fine Arts Center. Ticket sales open in October. “That will be something special. It will be an addition to our season,” ACCA President Gene Morsching said. “We hope it will be a positive impact on our group, for our members, and for the community.”

At last year’s Medora Musical Christmas performance in Ipswich, Brenda Lanphere, ACCA executive secretary, knew immediately the traveling show

FALL FEATURES

Continuing an era of classical concerts, the ACCA’s fall performances show variety in style and size with The World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra and the quartet Sons of Serendip. “Variety, I think, is one of the goals for community concerts,” Gene said. “Variety of music, and the variety of entertainment we provide for the community and for our members.”

The Glenn Miller Orchestra dates back to the 1940s with its big band jazz, and according to Gene, the Aberdeen area enjoyed their past three performances.“So, we thought what better way to celebrate 80 years than to have the Glenn Miller Orchestra open the season for us,” he said.

of six performers accompanied by a technical crew would fit perfectly as an 80year ACCA celebration. The inspirational comedy’s Christmas message and its effect on the audience captured Brenda’s interest in the group. “It’s a wonderful experience,” she said.

The Medora Musical brings their own sets, costumes, and instruments to provide quality music from traditional carols to inspirational Christmas songs. The Christmas cast plays guitar, banjo, saxophone, and piano along with a mix of male and female voices. This special performance will also double as a fundraiser for the ACCA. “It was just an avenue for us to bring in some additional entertainment to help sure up our funding, so we don’t have to raise membership prices,” Brenda said. “That’s the biggest thing, to keep them low and affordable for families.”

To kick off ACCA’s 2019-2020 season, The Glenn Miller Orchestra will perform on Thursday, September 26, at 7:00 PM at the Johnson Fine Arts Center. “They’re phenomenal,” Gene said. “Their music and artistry are incredible. They’ve got great musicians and every time we have had them it’s been a huge success.”

Sons of Serendip, who participated on America’s Got Talent in season nine, will perform at the Johnson Fine Arts Center on Tuesday, November 19, at 7:00 PM. Alongside stories and audience participation, the quartet uses harp, piano, cello, and vocal music to interpret popular songs.

From both well-known fall shows, to the Medora Musical special performance, ACCA’s 80th season continues its historic goal of bringing a variety of quality music ensembles to Aberdeen. //

The Glenn Miller Orchestra will perform

the Johnson Fine Arts Center.

 New to the ACCA’s lineup this year is the Medora Musical’s Christmas variety show. They will take the stage December 1 at the Johnson Fine Arts Center.

 In November, Aberdeen will welcome America’s Got Talent alum Sons of Serendip.

 For membership information and individual ticket pricing visit aberdeencommunityconcerts.org

A MEETING

WITH THE MAYOR

In city government, the position of mayor has evolved with each elected candidate. Here, Mayor Travis Schaunaman and three of his predecessors talk about their goals and strategies for bettering an always-changing Aberdeen.

by JENNY ROTH

hat is the first thing you look for when considering a new job?

If you are honest and said the pay, you are not alone. According to a poll by LinkedIn, job seekers scan employment listings for the salary and benefits packages first before deciding if they will read about qualifications and responsibilities. So, picture this help wanted ad. Hiring: Mayor. Salary: $15,000 per year. Benefits: None. Duties include, but not limited to: Head the city government in all ceremonial purposes. Vote and preside at meetings of the city council. Represent the city in intergovernmental relationships. Appoint members to citizen advisory boards and committees (with the advice and consent of the city council). And, present the annual state of the city message.

Did you get past the $15,000 to read the rest?

Most of us probably wouldn’t. But some have stood apart from the crowd and thrown their hats into the ring as mayoral candidates. If you are not in it for the money, it must then be for the work itself. Over the years, Aberdeen’s city government has gone through changes that have naturally shifted the duties of the city’s mayor. And even with a clear job description, each mayor can put an emphasis on the things they find most important.

On July 1, Aberdeen’s newest mayor, Travis Schaunaman, officially began his first five-year term in office. At 38 years

old, he is best known around town as the owner of Production Monkeys, a website development and marketing company he founded in 2007.

Schaunaman says he ran for mayor to advocate for the city and its business owners, both future and present. “By the time I finish this term, I want Aberdeen to be known as the best place in the entire state to live and the best place to start a business. All of my objectives work toward that goal,” he says.

This intention is momentous, but one he says is achievable because Aberdeen has already been leaning toward it for years. Of his objectives, Schaunaman highlights a couple of major ones. First, he wants to reduce overregulation that he says can deter businesses from starting and expanding in town. He cites several existing city ordinances that pose financial and other difficulties to business owners, such as those dictating landscape standards, home occupancy laws, and signage rules, as examples. In legislative matters as these, the mayor has an equal vote with the eight members of the city council. Schaunaman says he hopes to be a voice behind the scenes that gets the ball rolling for change.

In terms of creating momentum, Aberdeen has situated itself as an entrepreneurial hub. Schaunaman says we should be talking about this more with our young people, so they keep their hometown in mind when deciding on their future. This year he plans to launch a mentorship program between

area high school students, students studying business at NSU, and professionals at the height of their careers in Aberdeen. The program will give kids who have demonstrated high academic performance the chance to have conversations with successful adults in the community. He says, “We miss the boat on a lot of these kids. If they leave to go to school, find jobs, and start families elsewhere, it is hard for them to come back to the area. But if they have been seeing Aberdeen as a great option from day one, they’re more likely to consider building their lives here.”

Schaunaman adds that the city’s tradition of entrepreneurship has created a collective knowledge of business development amongst the community. “Aberdeen is a great place to start and grow a business. I want to make sure everyone understands that and has access to all the resources and people who are here to help them.”

Like many in the mayor’s seat before him, Schaunaman will be working his full-time job in addition to managing his new role for the city. That’s because for most of Aberdeen’s history, the mayor position has been a part-time one. Only during a single term starting in 2004 was it a full-time endeavor touting an annual salary of $55,000. That year, eight people entered the election race, and Mike Levsen says he narrowly won with the most votes. Levsen came into office at age 55 and on the heels of a 30-year career in radio. Just six months after he became the city’s first full-time mayor, Aberdeen voters approved the Home-Rule Charter and adopted a city manager form of government. In short, this change meant the mayor position would become a leadership and ceremonial role versus a functional and operational one. It would also revert to part-time hours. Meanwhile, a hired (not elected) city manager would oversee the city’s administrative duties. Levsen finished out his first term doing both the job of mayor and of an interim city manager. In 2009, the Home-Rule Charter took over. Levsen says he was more interested in the responsibilities of the city manager, as he felt he could accomplish more with that position. But since he was a previously elected official, he was not able to apply for the job.

Levsen says he was usually in the mayor’s office from 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM every day, discussing and interacting with city business and responding to emails and phone calls from the public. He estimates he represented the city at three or four speaking events each week, for a total of over two thousand during all his years in office. “In events that are important to the community, it is the mayor’s job to be visible and accessible, and I felt that it was at least a 30 or 40-hour job a week to be at all the places where a mayor should be,” he explains. That comes out to about $7 or $8 an hour. Without missing a beat, he says, “I would have done it for nothing. I felt like I gave Aberdeen a full-time effort for a part-time salary and that was my choice, I didn’t have to, and it wasn’t asked of me. But I enjoyed it, so I did it.” He acknowledges that he was in a fortunate position to be able to devote so much time to the role. In the future if Aberdeen continues to grow, he says it could be justified that the mayor position becomes full-time, opening it up to more potential candidates.

The mayor also runs the city council meetings, a responsibility that takes a specific skill. Levsen says, “I placed a very high emphasis on running the meetings professionally. It was important that we stayed on topic and did not interrupt each other or repeat things.”

‟ABERDEEN IS A GREAT PLACE TO START AND GROW A BUSINESS.”

 Mayor Travis Schaunaman began his first term as Aberdeen’s mayor on July 1.

Photo by Troy McQuillen

PAST MAYORS STILL LIVING IN ABERDEEN

MAYORS OF YESTERDAY

After Aberdeen was officially incorporated in 1883, the mayor’s salary was set at $10 per year.

John Garland, a store owner, was elected as our first mayor. He quickly learned that the job kept him from his retail duties and resigned after just one month. Mike Levsen held the office longer than anyone: 15 years.

John Garland (April/May 1883)

Phil Skillman (1883 – 1885)

John T. McChesney (1885 – 1886)

Phil Skillman (1886 – 1887)

R. A. Mills (1887 – 1888)

A. W. Pratt (1888 – 1889)

B. F. Stearns (1889 – 1890)

Robert Moody (1890 – 1892)

A. C. Witte (1892 – 1894)

S. H. Jumper (1894 – 1896)

D. McGlachlin (1896 – 1898)

C. J. Hute (1898 – 1900)

J. E. Adams (1900 – 1902)

A. S. Reed (1902 – 1904)

A. N. Aldrich (1904 – 1910)

H. J. Rock (1910 – 1911)

E. M. Hall (1911 – 1916)

A. N. Aldrich (1916 – 1921)

E. M. Hall (1921 – 1926)

John Wade (1926 – 1931)

I. N. Douglas (1931 – 1936)

Ira Kruger (1936 – 1941)

O. M. Tiffany (1941 – 1946)

J. E. Gorder (1946 – 1949)

R. S. Wallace (1949 – 1954)

Ernest Gunderson (1954 – 1956)

J. Clifton Hurlbert (1956 – 1969)

William E. Hauck (1969 – 1972)

Jeff Solem (1972 – 1981)

Delphine Janusz (1981 – 1987)

Tim Rich (1987 – 1999)

Tom Hopper (1999 – 2004)

Mike Levsen (2004 – 2019)

Travis Schaunaman (2019)

He adds that the majority of Aberdeen city government happens outside of these council meetings, handled by department heads who are more than equipped to make decisions on a day-to-day basis.

When summing up a career, everyone wants to know your list of accomplishments. Levsen says that’s one question he can’t answer. “It is impossible for a mayor to do anything alone; the mayor doesn’t have that kind of power. I have never done anything good for the city that didn’t involve a lot of other people.”

In the last 15 years, Aberdeen has grown in many ways, adding 6,000 residents, 2,000 new homes, and a list a mile long of hundreds of millions of dollars in capital projects. “I take a lot of satisfaction in the overall quality of city government and city employees and in the dozens and dozens of community leaders who decided we were going to take a positive and aggressive attitude and start doing things. The fact that I got elected didn’t change that; it just happened to be the time that it changed,” he concludes.

Preceding Levsen were Mayors Tom Hopper (1999-2004), Tim Rich (1987-1999), and Del Janusz (1981-1987). During their years in office, Aberdeen was led by a strong mayorcommissioner form of government, which differed significantly than the current city manager and council format. The mayor was considered the head of the city and worked closely with four elected commissioners who had a responsibility to all of Aberdeen, not just individual sections, in four specific functions—public works, water/wastewater, safety, and finance. If you had an issue or a question, it fell under one of these categories, and everyone went to the same official to handle it.

Before he was mayor, Tom Hopper became a city commissioner at the age of 24, making him the youngest person in Aberdeen to be elected to a city government position. He says he made two promises as mayor: to do the best he possibly could and to continue doing neighborhood outreach. During his time in office, he knocked on thousands of doors to visit one-on-one with the people and hear from them directly about what they needed. Because of this, investing millions of dollars to improve the infrastructure of various neighborhoods—the streets, water, and storm sewer systems—became one of his main priorities. He says, “We tried to make people feel good about their government, and to show them that it could work for them

and be responsive, by talking with them and completing these projects that they wanted and that improved their quality of living.”

In total, Hopper served as commissioner and mayor for 23 years. He says, “Everyone I worked with always worked very hard to make Aberdeen successful. When I came into office, I was able to do things because of all the effort put in by mayors and commissioners before me.”

Del Janusz, the city’s only female mayor, still lives in Aberdeen today. After she stepped away from the mayor’s office to run for State Senate, Tim Rich, a commissioner in his early forties, was chosen to be the active mayor. Rich worked for his family’s business, Aberdeen Finance Corporation and Insurance (a job he still keeps today) and says he hadn’t anticipated becoming involved publicly. “A lot of businesspeople and people my age would meet in the mornings at a café downtown called Mother’s. We’d talk about Aberdeen, and I was very open and verbal about what I thought should be done. One morning someone said, ‘If you’re so smart, why don’t you run for office and fix things?’ I thought, ‘Really?’ And it kind of grew from there. The next thing I knew we had petitions and I was running for city commissioner.” During his time as mayor, Rich says he placed an emphasis on creating new job opportunities and convincing large companies—like Banner, Sheldahl, Twin City Fan, and Aberdeen Machine Tool—to open locations in Aberdeen. “Our labor force is one of the best, and we wanted to bring in lifesupporting, permanent jobs for people,” he says. Other highlights for Aberdeen during Rich’s terms as mayor included the expansion of the city’s boundaries and a legislative bill that changed NSU from a teacher’s college to a university. He says, “We really fought to get it to be a university so we could attract new students—which is a vital part of our economic existence—and compete with other schools in the state who were calling themselves universities.”

Good leaders are always looking ahead, trying to see how they make things better for generations to come. Former Aberdeen mayors are in a unique position because they can also look back on the work they did and see how it is benefiting the city today. Hopper explains, “Making decisions as a mayor wasn’t always easy because not everyone you meet is going to agree with you. But it is nice to be able to drive around town and see things happening now that we all helped get accomplished.” //

Tom Hopper Tim Rich Delphine Janusz Mike Levsen

BUILT by BRICKS

Derek and Abby Brick are raising four kids, working two businesses and a full-time job, and creating a life together. Is it busy? You bet. Is it worth it? Absolutely.

Baby steps have been the most important steps in Derek and Abby Brick’s life together. First, they come from the little feet of their four young children, ages three, four, five, and seven years old, who bring the craziness and the fun into their home. The high school sweethearts have also taken baby steps to build their careers. Abby is the owner of Abby Brick Photography, which is celebrating its 10th year in business. Derek, who works full time at Weber Landscaping in Groton, opened his custom woodworking company, D. Brick Designs, in 2017. Nothing they have grown has sprouted overnight. Rather, it’s been a steady cultivation of love and hard work that has gotten them to where they are on their journey so far.

It is almost 9:00 PM when I am able to catch the Bricks for an interview. As Abby puts it honestly, “We’re super busy, but somehow it all works out. Our kids are happy, and we still have time to have a life, too.” Anyone who works and has a family wants to know: How do they manage to do it all? The answer is with a lot of help. “We’ve been together 15 years and we’re both really creative people and into the same things,” Abby says. At home, teamwork makes everything happen, from driving the kids to their activities to doing the chores. And when they are both busy with their jobs, they have plenty of extended family to

by JENNY ROTH

pitch in. “We are lucky in the fact that we have a lot of family around. We wouldn’t be able to do what we do if it wasn’t for them. They help with babysitting and are just supportive in everything we do,” Abby says. Their biggest piece of advice for others trying to juggle family and entrepreneurship is to be intentional with your schedule. “Make sure you set aside some time, whether that’s meals around the table or weekends, when work is put away and you can have those moments together. In balancing the numbers, make sure your family time is greater than your business time.” For the Bricks, that means Sunday is their day with the kids, even if they are doing something as simple as running errands together.

Of course, it isn’t always perfect. In reflecting on a decade in business, Abby explains that her biggest challenge is juggling that family-work balance. “The hardest part is that I am always working, even when I have walked away from the studio for the day. I’m still editing at home or answering messages from clients.” On the flip side, the best part of working for herself is that it allows her to set her own schedule and be home with the kids when she needs to be. Before starting a family, she photographed 25 to 30 weddings each year. Now, she has cut back to about 10 to free up her weekends more. In all, she has shot over 200 weddings in her career so far.

Abby started her photography business in her early twenties. She admits it was a little intimidating to jump into a field already saturated with well-known names like Ketterling, Bremer, and Hardin’s. Those studios had been around for years and were wellestablished. She was just a kid who had grown up pinning her photos to her bedroom wall and who didn’t have any professional props or lighting. Her parents, both of whom are entrepreneurs, encouraged her that starting small is better than not starting at all. “They told me, ‘You crawl before you walk.’ In business, you are not just going to take off running and have everything you dream of right away. You have to work hard to achieve it first,” she says. With a camera, MacBook Pro, Photoshop, and the most generic lighting kit money could buy, she rented a studio space for $250 a month in the basement of the Johnson Professional Building. Derek revamped it by installing flooring, countertops, and an office. Thrift stores provided a few chairs

made things, and worked for a construction company in Groton for a few winters where I learned a lot too,” he says. He eventually made almost all the furniture in his family’s home, and friends started noticing his work and asking for their own custom wood pieces. A couple of years ago, he officially obtained a business license and has been creating everything you can think of ever since, including furniture, barn doors, mantels, bars, floors, ceilings, and home decor. He can look at a space for his clients, visualize an idea, and then sketch it for them to see based on what they want installed. D. Brick Designs is a creative outlet for Derek and has that same flexibility Abby talks about in choosing your own schedule. “I hold off on taking orders until the fall because I do not have much free time during landscaping season. I could fill up weekends doing this, but when Abby doesn’t have pictures, we try to do family stuff. Even though the extra money would be nice, it’ll be there later on, too,” he says.

and props. And within a year, Abby had a steady stream of clients and was able to move her studio out of the basement and into its current downtown location. She has been capturing shots in her signature family-orientated style ever since. “I just knew it was what I wanted, and I went for it, even though I was winging it right away. Now I am at the point where I have taken people’s senior pictures, then their wedding photos, and then photos of their newborns and children,” she says.

Inside the garage of Derek and Abby’s 1926 Aberdeen home, another entrepreneurial venture has recently begun to take shape. Derek jokes about how D. Brick Designs Custom Woodworking came to be. “I credit being cheap and not wanting to pay anyone to do anything for me,” he laughs. In all seriousness, landscape designers are short on work during the cold months of South Dakota, and after working at Menards for several winters, he was looking for something different. “I have always

Opening their businesses years apart has given the Bricks a unique view of how entrepreneurship has recently grown in Aberdeen. Abby says when she started, there was less going on downtown and less resources for small businesses. Why the boom in entrepreneurship now? “People are finally realizing that it is okay to take a shot at your dream. Go do it. If you have a goal you are supposed to go after it, that’s why they call it a leap of faith. If it works, it works. If it doesn’t, try again later or try something else,” she says. And take advantage of all the benefits of doing it your own way. For the Bricks, that means bringing their kids along to the studio or the woodworking shop whenever they can, building work around family, and enjoying the busy, wonderful chaos. Abby sums it up well, “If you take baby steps to where you want to go, eventually you will get there.” //

“IF IT WORKS, IT WORKS. IF IT DOESN’T, TRY AGAIN LATER OR TRY SOMETHING ELSE.”

 To learn more about Abby Brick Photography and D. Brick Designs Custom Woodworking, find them on Facebook.

Photos by Troy McQuillen

 The Brick family balances two businesses, Abby Brick Photography and D. Brick Designs Custom Woodworking.

Pictured L to R are: Ella, Ero, Abby, Derek, Everett, and Emilia.

Aberdeen Football Heroes

If You Can Make It Here, You Can Make It

by PATRICK GALLAGHER

Every fall, 100 or so Aberdeen athletes take the field to play football. Some of them no doubt have dreams of playing on bigger stages, and there are role models they can follow. In the past 50 years, some 20,000 students have graduated from Aberdeen high schools. A handful have gone on to play football at the highest levels of the game, and they’ve done all right for small town boys.

George Amundson

All these athletes were high school standouts, but George Amundson (CHS ’69) got national attention in 1969—10 years before ESPN. At the state track meet in Rapid City, the Central senior threw a discus farther than any American high schooler ever had, 211 feet, 4 inches, which is still a state record.

George was a football star too, but the first memory he shared was of off-field antics. After out-of-town games, he remembers, “We’d get back to Aberdeen, buy a dozen eggs and throw them at our friends’ cars while they were making out with their girlfriends!” His football throwing—and running—drew attention too, and after some college visits, he signed with Iowa

State and head coach Johnny Majors, the former University of Tennessee star.

A quarterback in high school, George first played running back in college due to injuries on the team. As a junior, he set a team record, rushing for 1,316 yards and 15 touchdowns, and led the Cyclones to their first-ever bowl game, the 1971 Sun Bowl. As a senior, he returned to quarterback—“My love, because I like to be in charge”—and became the first player in school history to top 2,000 yards in total offense. Against Missouri, which Iowa State hadn’t beaten in years, George led the team to a big victory. Late in the game, Coach Majors wanted George to take a knee. Instead, “I called a quarterback sneak,” George laughs. “I yelled at Coach that taking a knee would hurt my average!” George was named the 1972 Big Eight Conference player of

the year, beating out Nebraska’s Johnny Rodgers, who won the Heisman Trophy that year. George finished seventh in the Heisman voting.

In the NFL draft, the Houston Oilers selected George in the first round—still Iowa State’s only first round pick. In the first game of his second season, he scored three touchdowns, and “I led the league in scoring for a couple weeks!” Unfortunately, coaching changes pushed him to Philadelphia and then to St. Louis where injuries forced him to retire. Back in Houston, he joined Gulf Atlantic Packaging, where he’s worked ever since.

He remembers the influence of his high school football coach Don Reshetar and track coach Ron Stocking, who later coached at Iowa State. Johnny Majors— “who gave me the latitude to call my own plays”—is his favorite coach of all time, a feeling he must share with his college football buddies. When they got together with the old coach, “It was like Majors was holding court!”

 Ian de Hueck sprints for yardage against Clark in this 1980 photo from Roncallli’s Lance Yearbook. Ian’s team voted him most valuable back and most valuable player overall.

Photos courtesy of the respective players, Roncallli Lance Yearbooks, Dacotah Prairie Museum, and The Aberdeen Public Schools Foundation.

Kent Clausen

As a Cavalier, Kent Clausen (RHS ’76) starred in three sports. He still holds several basketball records and earned a state discus championship. Football was his favorite, however. Recruited to the University of Montana as a quarterback, a change in offensive strategy moved him across the line, where he starred as a linebacker, compiling multiple 100-tackle seasons. He earned AllBig Sky Conference Team honors twice, All-Academic team three times, and team MVP.

Kent signed with the New York Jets in 1981. He told the American News that in training camp, free agents like him were put on the top floors, above the draft picks

who were above the veterans. As camp went on, the upper floors emptied out when players were cut. “I was the only guy on the 13th floor and there was nobody on the 12th and very few on the 11th,” he remembers. He made the team, but injuries shortened his career. He’s spent the past few decades as a hotel developer in Washington State.

Ian de Hueck

Known by some as Roncalli’s Rudy, Ian de Hueck (RHS ’81) was a walk-on at Notre Dame. A highlight of his high school career was the first Cavalier football victory over Central. After high school, “I had some opportunities to play at smaller schools in the area,” he says, “but

I’d always wanted to go to Notre Dame.” When he was accepted, “I figured I’d given up football.” When he got to campus, however, he saw an ad for tryouts and made the team as a kicker and running back. Then, he notes, kicker John Carney—now fifth on the NFL all-time scoring list—showed up, and “I became a running back.” Then Allen Pinkett— second on Notre Dame’s all-time rushing list— appeared, and “I joined the scout team.”

The scout team’s job was to run the next opponent’s offensive plays against the ND defense. “I thoroughly enjoyed it and looked forward to every practice,” he says. “It was a dream come true.” But if the scout team had a good play, he remembers, the coaches only saw it as a defensive breakdown. “So they’d stop practice and chew out the defense. Then we ran the same play again—against a defense that just got chewed out and knew what was coming,” he laughs. In his senior year, Ian played in two games. After his playing days, the philosophy major got an MBA from Northwestern in Evanston, Illinois, where he started a consulting firm 20 years ago.

Ian credits several Aberdonians for his successes. Former Roncalli athletic director Tom Murphy “let me do things in athletics as a pretty young kid, which was a great opportunity. Coach Jim Stephenson convinced the head coach to let me try a 44-yard field goal in a game,” which remains the longest successful attempt in Roncalli history.

“It was a dream come true.”

 George Amundson was drafted by the Houston Oilers in the first round of the 1973 NFL Draft.

Ian de Hueck

Robb White

While he earned state accolades in basketball—third team All-State—and track—second in state at long jump—Robb White (CHS ’84) loved football. SDSU recruited him for its offensive line, but he wanted defense. Unbeknownst to Robb, “My track coach John Huth knew someone at USD and suggested they look at me.” They did, and he went there to play linebacker. Later he moved to defensive line where he excelled, earning first-team All-Conference twice and team captain as a senior. “I never had aspirations for the NFL,” he says, but after he played in the 1986 national championship game, “some teams showed interest in me.”

He was undrafted, but both the Washington Redskins and the New York Giants looked at him, and he chose the reigning Super Bowl Champion Redskins in 1988. The team kept him on injured reserve to save him for the future, until injuries necessitated that he start a game. Because he had been on reserve, however, league rules required the team either to exercise a special option to restore him to the roster or temporarily waive him. “So they waived me, figuring they’d sign me a day later,” he says. On the Friday before the game, an upset head coach Joe Gibbs “told me I could use the phone in his office to call Coach Parcells because I’d been picked up by the Giants on waivers.” Three days later, he was in New York practicing with the rival Giants. Later on for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he remembers, “I sacked

Joe Montana.” He retired after stints in the World League of American Football and the Canadian Football League and now works near Kansas City in senior management for the manufacturing company to which he sold his two engineering firms.

In addition to Coach Huth, many people supported his career, and he singles out Redskins veteran defensive end All-Pro Charles Mann, “who helped this rookie get through camp and the season and invited me to his Bible study group.” He also indirectly credits one coach for helping instill a kind of confidence: “Maybe workday pressures are easier to bear after you’ve had Bill Parcells standing over you threatening to cut you from the team every day!”

Josh Heupel

Josh Heupel (CHS ’96) grabbed the golden ring in college, but maybe he was born for it. The son of Northern football coach Ken Heupel, whose team and staff meetings Josh

Ian de Hueck

attended as an elementary student, and CHS principal Cindy Heupel, whom Josh credits for his leadership skills, he was perhaps destined for gridiron greatness. After a stellar high school quarterback career, Josh embarked on what became a remarkable college career.

He accepted a scholarship from Weber State in Utah. After a good year on the field, an injury and offensive philosophy change led him to move to Snow College in Utah, where he passed for over 2,300 yards and 28 touchdowns in one season. Then he met Mike Leach, the incoming offensive coordinator at Oklahoma University, and the rest is history. Coming to a team with a storied history that had been down on its luck, Josh helped turn OU around. In a terrific undefeated 2000 season, he passed for 3,606 yards and led the NCAA by completing 64.6% of his passes. He earned, among other accolades, All-American and AP Player of the Year honors, plus he was the runner-up in the Heisman Trophy voting. Oklahoma won the national championship in the Orange Bowl, defeating Florida State

“The Aberdeen community was a wonderful place to grow up.”

 Taylor Mehlhaff kicks a goal during an NFL game between the San Diego Chargers and the New Orleans Saints in 2008.

and Heisman winner Chris Wenke.

Injuries curtailed his pro career, and Josh moved into coaching. “I absolutely knew I would be a coach one day,” he says, “I love the competitive side of the game and love mentoring kids to help them grow into who they’ll be.” By 2006, he was back at Oklahoma as the quarterback coach, where he coached two Heisman Trophy winners. In 2018, he became the head coach for the University of Central Florida, coaching the Knights to a 12-0 regular season record in his first year.

“The game has taken me so many different places,” Josh reflects. “I’ve had great opportunities to play and coach in great games, but it’s really about the relationships.” He adds, “Football does that. It bridges the gaps, the differences you’d see in the outside world.” Josh is also sometimes able to watch the next generation of Heupels play football. His third-grade son plays, but Josh is better at getting to the spring games, because he’s kind of busy in the fall.

Taylor Mehlhaff

As a quarterback and kicker, Taylor Mehlhaff (CHS ’04) led Central to the AA championship game and was named the state’s Gatorade High School Player of the Year. He also appeared at or near the top of numerous national rankings of high school kickers. A Nebraska fan, he ended

up at Wisconsin where he had a stellar career, earning All-Big Ten (twice) and All-American honors. He is also third on the all-time Wisconsin scoring list— impressive, considering the guys ahead of him are the NCAA all-time touchdown leader Montee Ball and Heisman Trophy winner Ron Dayne.

“I had a pretty good college career to get the opportunity to go to the next level,” Taylor says. He had stints with the New Orleans Saints and Minnesota Vikings, but “Pro football didn’t turn out the way I’d hoped. I learned to have a completely different mindset.” He met his wife in New Orleans, however, and says, “I figured God had a plan.”

The University of Tennessee asked him to run their kicking camp and then offered him a special teams coaching job. “I jumped into it,” he says. “I missed the competitive sense of game day.” Eventually, he returned to Wisconsin, where he is a special teams assistant. Reflecting on his career, he says, “It feels like I haven’t worked a day in my life. I get to make a living kicking a football and now coaching it.”

He credits several Aberdeen coaches for influencing him. His eighth-grade coach Rick Kline told him if he worked hard over the summer he could kick for the varsity as a freshman. “He got me excited to perfect my kicking.” Taylor always looked up to head coach Mike Flakus. “I never wanted to let him down. He taught me how to work and go after something.”

You can make it big out of Aberdeen, but South Dakota athletes have a hill to climb. As a college coach now, Taylor realizes how difficult it is to visit players in South Dakota. “Flying into Sioux Falls and driving to a town to see an athlete can take as much time as it takes to fly to Atlanta and visit six high schools with two to three prospects each,” he laments. But, obviously, some guys have made it work.

Aberdeen is a great place to play too, as Ian de Hueck recalls, “The Aberdeen community was a wonderful place to grow up. It was extremely supportive of young people in general. They’re some of the nicest people I’ve ever met, great role models. A lot of people and institutions contributed to my good fortune.” Hundreds of young athletes today can say the same thing. //

 Josh Heupel led the Sooners to an undefeated season and a national championship with a victory over Florida State in the 2001 Orange Bowl.

SUMMER FALL STYLE TO

FLORALS, LAYERS, AND ACCESSORIES THAT TRANSCEND THE SEASONS

If the cooler temps are getting you down, let these beautiful ensembles for fall cheer you up. This time of year is all about making those summer staples in your closet stretch a little bit further. Think adding a kimono over short sleeves, layering with a light jacket or sweater, or pairing a mid-length dress with booties. The transition pieces shown on these pages are the perfect combination of comfortable yet dressy, making them go-to items for day or night, or any season at all. //

models SAMANTHA, HADALYNN, and REMILLIE MILLER, BARB MILLER, AUBRAY HARRY, and DAKOTA FELLER

women’s clothing and accessories by THE FARMER’S WIFE

BOUTIQUE

children’s clothing by WILDFLOWERS CLOTHING BY COURTNEY

ERICKSON

 Left to right, Barb, Aubray, and Samantha at Melgaard Park during the weekly Aberdeen Farmers Market (Thursdays through October 24, 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM). On Barb: Floral prints remain in trend going into fall. On Aubray: Blouse with floral print contrast sleeves that add a pop of detail. Bag by Rebekah Scott. On Samantha: Cream top with a hint of lace on the neckline and a flattering front knot at the waist.

photography by CHRISTINA SHILMAN, PAISLEY TREE PHOTOGRAPHY

 On Aubray: Throw on & go bohemian-style print dress in fall colors of mustard, red, ivory, and purple. On Samantha: Lightweight, olive military jacket and ivory silk cami with Grace & Lace denim. Rebekah Scott bag and stone necklace.

 Remillie in an Easy Going Emma Top with a floral print, bell sleeves, and soft knit fabric.

 Hadalynn in a Bee-utiful Blouse with hidden beads, pearly blue snaps, and embroidery detail. Paired with mustard-colored Bus Stop Ruffles pants.

 Fall fashion in floral prints, plum, rust, ivory, and mustard details, denim and booties, and lightweight layers.

 Dakota in a cozy, medium-weight mustard sweater.

Quality, Primary Care for All Ages

Horizon Health Care is woven into the lives of the people of Aberdeen and all those we serve. We offer comprehensive care, cutting-edge technology and a patient-focused experience.

• Wellness exams for all ages

• College student care

• Interpreter services available

• Medicaid and those with or without insurance accepted

• And so much more

 Barb in a kimono with fringe edge detailing. Paired with a deep plum dress top.

Needs to be Done Doing What

They have often been called to serve in ways outside of their usual duties. But whether it has been helping during a diphtheria outbreak, starting a hospital, or founding a nursing school, the Presentation Sisters have always responded when it comes to caring for others.

by PATRICK GALLAGHER

The Bible tells a story of ancient Jews being oppressed by foreign occupiers in which a mother’s seven sons get executed for not abandoning their faith. * Christian legends have a similar story about seven young men and their mother being martyred by Roman oppressors. A more recent echo of the story has a better result.

In 1900, a diphtheria epidemic struck Aberdeen, and when a mother and her seven children contracted the disease, no one would go to their house to care for them, except the Presentation Sisters. We don’t know what happened to that family, and the story may be apocryphal, but that epidemic is what launched the Sisters’ health ministry. When local doctors asked the Presentation Sisters for help, they turned some classrooms in the school they’d built 12 years earlier into hospital wards. And the rest, as they say, is mustard.

“The Sisters like the Gospel parable of the mustard seed,” said Todd Forkel, CEO of Avera St. Luke’s, “the idea that if you have faith, great things will come from small things. That’s what’s happened in Aberdeen from the Sisters’ work.” And beyond Aberdeen. As Avera Health CEO

Bob Sutton observed, Avera Health is the largest female-founded organization in the Upper Midwest.

The local city fathers 120 years ago might have approached the Sisters because they had been helpful during an earlier epidemic. It might also be because they knew the Sisters would get things done. But why did the Sisters say yes? After all, 20 years earlier, they had been recruited from Ireland, where the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary had been founded in 1775 by the indefatigable Nano Nagle, to be teachers. They didn’t have medical experience. So why take this on?

“There was a need,” is the simple explanation offered by Sister Janice Klein, President of the Aberdeen Presentation

Sisters (the congregation established here in 1886). Sister Janice added that “Nano Nagle responded to needs in her time. She cared for the sick and provided for the poor. When Aberdeen’s business people and doctors approached the Sisters about needing a hospital, I think those early Sisters said we have to respond to this need.” She continued, “That’s what our community does—responds to needs of people in a compassionate, Gospel-justice way.” It comes from the charism—the spiritual gift—the Presentation Sisters believe Nano Nagle had, which Sister Janice defined as “alleviating oppression and promoting human dignity by incarnating the compassion and justice of Jesus.”

Sister Kathleen Bierne sees it the same way: “Nano always said, ‘Do what needs to

*Note: The Books of Maccabees typically only appear in Catholic and Orthodox Bibles.

 Pictured in this early 1900s picture are: Front: Superioress Mother Mary Joseph Butler. Middle Row: Sister Lelia Beresford, Unknown Sister, and Sister DeChantal Duffy. Back Row: Sister Finbarr Lynch, Sister Columba Daly, and Sister Calasanctus Hennessy

 An early lab scene from 1958. Presentation Sisters filled many administrative roles in the early days of the hospital. Their involvement eventually evolved into that of governance; a role they still serve to this day.

be done.’ That’s what we do.” She also credits “the pioneer spirit that brought us here in the first place. It led us to be a nursing community when we had no intention of doing that or running a hospital, which we had no intention of doing either. It had to be God’s will.”

Mother Joseph Butler was the superior of the Aberdeen Sisters when they decided to accept the city’s request. In a much more hierarchical time, she probably made the decision herself, but said Sister Janice, “She had the vision to see this as a beginning.”

Today, out of dozens of Presentation congregations on three continents, Aberdeen’s is the only one in the world that has a health system.

Starting a hospital hadn’t been in the long-term plans of the Sisters, but as Sister Kathleen noted, “It tells you about the need to adapt.” The Sisters soon bought land for a hospital, selling craft work to raise the money, and the 15-bed St. Luke’s Hospital opened in 1901 in what is now the parking lot south of the main building. Within a decade, they were running two more hospitals in South Dakota and one in Montana, including the new McKennan in Sioux Falls. Building a hospital was certainly a leap of faith. In 1900, according to the ledger, the Sisters had $1.90 in their year-end account; in 1901, it was $1,465—a 77,000% increase. The Lord provideth indeed. That’s a lot of mustard.

It didn’t take long for things to get crowded, however. In 1924, the Sisters set aside their plans to build a new convent and instead constructed a six-story, 159-bed hospital where the current St. Luke’s stands. Around the same time, they also built new hospitals in Sioux Falls and Mitchell. In Aberdeen, the Sisters moved into the old hospital to live, renaming it Butler Hall after the pioneering mother superior. A decade later, they added a chapel to the southwest corner of Butler Hall.

Buildings are one way to look at a story because they are ways of responding to current needs and hoping to meet those of the future. Anticipating the stewardship that would be a future Presentation value, the Sisters repurposed buildings. The original school had become a hospital. The old hospital became a convent. The former Lincoln Hospital building downtown became a wing of St. Luke’s when the Sisters rolled it on logs from 5th and Lincoln to 3rd and State. The process

rebooted in 1974, when, after 50 years, the six-story hospital was demolished and replaced with the current St. Luke’s on State Street. Construction has never really stopped. CEO Todd Forkel, who started at St. Luke’s as a radiation technician in the early 1990s, observed, “The hospital campus has about tripled in size since I started working here.”

In the midst of this, the Sisters bought 100 acres north of town. Three decades after they had prioritized a new hospital over a new home for themselves, they finally built a new convent on the highest point in Aberdeen, naming it Presentation Heights and moving there in 1954. In another repurposing, Butler Hall became a residence for nursing students.

Education remained a primary and evolving focus of the Sisters, both in the formal education of young people in the many schools they led in the state, and in training nurses. They had established an initial nursing school in 1908, and in 1942, they created the Presentation School of Nursing. In 1951, they took over sponsorship of Notre Dame Junior College in Mitchell and moved the programs to Aberdeen. The college then became Presentation College and added a nursing

degree. Again, in the world of Presentation Sisters, the Aberdeen congregation is the only one with a college.

Health care evolved too. The polio epidemic that struck the nation in the 1940s and 1950s marked a milestone in the history of the hospital. St. Luke’s was one of the first hospitals in the area to get iron lungs, which helped polio patients breathe, and the hospital became a center for the treatment of polio. Over the decades, St. Luke’s also added more and more subspecialists among its physician corps, a response to what CEO Forkel described as the Sisters’ insistence that the hospital adhere to its founding rural focus and commitment to providing care as close to the patient’s home as possible. In addition, beginning in the late 1950s, the Sisters began purchasing land for nursing homes in Aberdeen and other communities.

By this time, it was also becoming clear that changes in health care as a whole would require changes in both how the Sisters would administer their hospitals and who would do it. Fortunately, the congregation treasurer Sister Stephen Davis had the savvy to recognize that “things were changing and we needed to respond,” said Sister Kathleen. “As the

“That’s what our community does—responds to needs of people in a compassionate, Gospeljustice way.”

intricacies of health care became more and more complex, we knew we didn’t have people familiar enough to manage it. Sister Stephen knew that bringing in lay support was the right thing to do, and it became a great grace.” The Sisters began to welcome and mentor lay people into leadership roles at the hospital, including the first lay CEO of St. Luke’s, Harold Brady, in 1964.

This laid the groundwork for additional major changes in administration. The Sisters and their lay advisors saw benefits in bringing their four major hospitals together under one leadership, and in 1979, the Presentation Health System was formed. Within two decades, discussions began between the Presentation Sisters of Aberdeen and the Benedictine Sisters of Yankton about merging their hospital systems. Sister Kathleen said, “It was two years of intense conversations, but again it was the right thing to do.” Avera Health was created in 1998.

The Sisters also began to face the facts that vocations to religious life were declining. “If you look at vocations over time, they ebb and flow,” Sister Kathleen noted. “Today, women who would be active in society have so many more options in America than they did when many of us joined the order.” With smaller numbers and aging members, the Sisters were unable to perform the same roles as they once had. CEO Todd Forkel recalled, “When I was doing X-rays here, there were many Sisters in the everyday staff jobs at the hospital. Now their roles are entirely in governance.”

And they remain active in governing the health care system they created. The leadership of each order—Presentation and Benedictine—oversees the entire organization. In addition, each hospital in the Avera system, which now includes more than 30 hospitals across five states, has both a Presentation and Benedictine Sister on its board. Sister Janice is on the overall leadership group, and Sister Kathleen is in her fourth term on the Avera St. Luke’s board—one of four Sisters on the 18-member board.

But this governance doesn’t guarantee the Presentation charism remains. “We want the legacy to continue so we want to do whatever we can do to insure that,” Sister Kathleen explained. Now, hospitals have lay people who keep mission at the forefront. That’s a responsibility Todd Forkel takes very seriously. “I tell my staff we should hold it in the highest regard that the Sisters handed this to us and have entrusted it to us. I see it as a privilege,” he said. From the Sisters’ perspective, it seems to be working. Sister Janice said, “Mission is

very deep in the Avera system. Its values of hospitality, compassion, and stewardship are witnessed every day, and they lead back to Presentation values as well.”

A story that began with a large family continues with hundreds of births at St. Luke’s every year, none perhaps more famous than the five who arrived in 1963. The Fisher quintuplets drew worldwide attention to Aberdeen and the hospital. It may seem ironic that a group of women who committed their lives to God and ministry rather than child rearing are so connected to miracles of birth. But the Presentation Sisters have been about nothing if not about life, and making it better for all they meet.

Today, the mustard tree has grown. One of the most impactful institutions

in Aberdeen, Avera St. Luke’s has 1,200 employees and a $100 million payroll— four times the city government budget. About half of its patients come from outside Aberdeen—people who spend money with other businesses too. Besides health care, its economic impact is huge. While they’re not stepping back from their ministries, the Presentation Sisters are looking to the future. They’ve announced plans to build two new residences, Presentation Place in Aberdeen and Presentation Center in Sioux Falls, and to vacate Presentation Heights. Responding to their own needs for once, the Sisters have designed the buildings with health care in mind to tend to the needs of aging Sisters. But a practical—and typical—selflessness infuses this project too: the buildings will

STATE ST

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transition to become Avera long-term care facilities as the Sisters no longer need them. Yet another legacy.

Responding to needs, adapting, being flexible— whether it was adding nursing to their teaching ministry, modifying and adding buildings, adapting as the industry and their congregation changed— like the ancient families of seven, the Sisters stuck to their principles, but they also adjusted to respond to the needs at the time—even as that often meant adding to what they were doing, not

Many Buildings Served Many Patients And Nursing Students

A. Medical Annex This building was built as Lincoln Hospital on Lincoln Street, across the street from the YMCA. The Sisters bought it and moved it to this location in 1941. It later became Lourdes Hall after the original hall was demolished.

B. Overpass bridge The bridge that connects Lourdes Hall with St. Luke’s was built in 1944 and still arches over Third Avenue.

C. St. Luke’s Hospital of 1928 In 1927, the Sisters’ Presentation Academy was torn down from this spot and replaced with a modern hospital in 1928.

D. Lourdes Hall This building served as housing for nursing students

E. St. Luke’s Hospital of 1900 Originally constructed in 1900 as a single building, this complex of structures evolved quickly. By 1913 several wings and additions were added accommodating 100 beds. This set of buildings became known as Presentation Academy after the 1928 Hospital building was finished then renamed again to Butler Hall. It was demolished in 1970 to make room for the southern enlargement of St. Luke’s.

F. Chapel This chapel was built in 1937 and demolished in 1970 to make room for parking for the hospital. Several of the stained-glass windows were salvaged and reused at the “new” Presentation Heights Convent (PC) built north of town.

replacing. And always with a palpable grace. As a now unknown Presentation Sister wrote decades ago: “We are called to be Women of the Lord…Women who laugh and dance and sing…Women who weep not because we have lost something but because we have been given so much.”

These women of the Lord have made an indelible mark on Aberdeen. //

 Thanks to Sister Lois Ann Sargent and Kathleen Daly of the Presentation Sisters Archives for their assistance in telling this history.

Congratulations to our Aberdeen Public Schools athletes, fine arts performers, and academic achievers.

We have GREAT students and staff, and the Aberdeen Public Schools Foundation is proud to support them ALL!

 This early 1940s photo of the St. Luke’s campus was taken from the air looking east.

The William Bickelhaupt House

photographed and written by TROY MCQUILLEN

Built to host society parties in 1905, this historic home in south Aberdeen is still in pristine condition today.

It is our desire to include an Open House story in each issue of Aberdeen Magazine. You can imagine, however, not a lot of people want the inside of their house on display for everyone to see. As luck would have it, the house included here is on the market for sale, so all parties involved were very open to showing it to our readers.

Most people know about this house. It has an imposing stature in a deeply wooded area just north of NSU’s campus. It was built at 1003 S. Jay by William George Bickelhaupt, an executive at J.W. Zietlow’s Dakota Central Telephone Company (see “The Telephone Genius,” March/April 2019). Previous owners have restored every inch of the house. One owner even added a multistall garage complete with a bathroom, hot water, heat, and an apartment.

I find it interesting that the Bickelhaupts elected to build this noble house in the south part of town versus in the trendy new Highlands subdivision on North Main Street. In fact, when we think of grand old houses, the Highlands is what we think of, however, the NSU area contains some massive, stately homes, including one built for a former governor.

A lot of questions surround this house. When was it built (1901, 1905, or the 1920s)? Is it on the National Register of Historic Places? Why is it so big? A newspaper article from 1904 reports that a mason working on the new home was shot in the leg by a neighbor boy playing with a rifle. The Bickelhaupts moved in in 1905. In 1989, the home received National Registry status. The nomination form says the house is significant in the area of architecture because it is an excellent local example of the Shingle Style. Shingle Style homes were popular from 1880 to 1900 and are characterized by wood shingles covering most of the house. Only the upper floors of the Bickelhaupt house are shingled, the rest is stucco covering bricks. The reason the house is so big is because the Bickelhaupts loved to entertain. There are many accounts in local newspapers, before the house was built, detailing lavish parties by Mrs. Bickelhaupt. And, they had four children.

 William George Bickelhaupt. Picture taken from Move Over, Mr. Bell by Allen Gates and Robert Perry, courtesy Dacotah Prairie Museum.

The Bickelhaupts were very wellknown in Aberdeen and the emerging telephone business. William married Ida Owen of Wisconsin in 1887. He was already homesteading in Dakota Territory, and the newlyweds made their home in Roscoe, where all their children were born. William was in the grain business and owned elevators in Roscoe, Orient, Eureka, and Bowdle with a partner. In 1898, the Bickelhaupts moved to West Hill in Aberdeen (an up-and-coming “suburb”). It was then that William got involved with Mr. Zietlow and ultimately became invested in the telephone business. All the children were very successful and married women from other prominent Aberdeen families (like Jewett and Easton). Two of the sons served in both World Wars.

In 1900, the Bickelhaupts uprooted and moved to Everett, Washington, to start a milling company with other Aberdeen businessmen. In three years, they were

 At first glance, the wallpaper in this room appears to be a catalog purchase. However, you soon realize that the image never repeats, and if you look at it at the right angle, you can see brush strokes. This wallcovering was provided in sections by an interior design firm in Minneapolis called Moore and Scriver. It is titled “The Grand Hunt” and depicts a scene in Alsace-Lorraine, France. The interior designers oversaw the redecoration of the home in 1927.

back in Aberdeen. William reengaged with Zietlow and became the secretary-treasurer of the Dakota Central Telephone Company. He became president when Zietlow died in 1922 and retired from the position in 1930. His wife Ida died while visiting in California in 1921. He remarried in 1926 to a former principal of Lincoln Elementary, Harriet Steere, here in Aberdeen. The couple resided in Del Mar, California, until William’s death in August 1936. His body was brought to Aberdeen and placed in his former home on Jay Street for the funeral services. By this time, the house was owned by the Bickelhaupts’ daughter, Doris McKeever. William is buried in the Bickelhaupt plot at Riverside Cemetery.

Some accounts say that William was an architect and an engineer. I can find no evidence of that as he only appears to have been involved in the grain and telephone businesses. He is credited with designing the house himself. While the home is spectacular, it does have some odd qualities and incredibly large spaces. The dining room is exceedingly large with relatively small doors. Both the front hall and living room are very large too. The second-floor landing is the size of a living room and reveals a total of 10 doorways leading to the bedrooms, closets, staircases, and a bathroom. But as was mentioned, it would

make for a great party house, with room for the sweeping formal dresses worn by women of that era.

According to personal accounts and the National Register nomination form, the house was remodeled in 1927. The front porch was enclosed, the front door was pushed forward, and a hand-painted (on paper) mural was added to the dining room.

In all, there are three floors of living space. The third floor has a full bath, butler’s pantry, game room, and theater room. This floor was no doubt the servant’s quarters.

The Bickelhaupts were definitely society people, and they were considered pioneers of the era. William advocated for the building of our former YMCA on the corner of 5th and Lincoln (now demolished). Ida was in all the social clubs, and both were very active members of First United Methodist Church. Unfortunately, the Bickelhaupt name is not well-known anymore. The three boys left town and pursued careers elsewhere. Doris lived in Aberdeen, with the married name McKeever. However, given the pristine, preserved condition of this 114-year-old Bickelhaupt home, their name should be around for a long time. //

 Inquiries regarding the Bickelhaupt House can be made to Andrea Holinka of First Premier Realty, www.firstpremierrealestate.com.

 This postcard provided by Mike Wiese features the W.G. Bickelhaupt house on S. Jay Street. This view shows that the bottom level, which is now covered with stucco, was distinctly brick. All these trees now obscure the shingle-style gambrel roofline.

ABERDEEN HUNTER

INFORMATION GUIDE

Don’t wing it this pheasant season! Stay in the know on season dates, public hunting lands, sporting goods providers, and more with this quick pocket guide on hunting near Aberdeen. Whether you are a visiting hunter or a local outdoorsperson, you are in the right place this pheasant hunting season. Brown County leads the state in numbers for resident hunters and is third for non-resident hunters because of its ideal mix of public and private land options and an abundance of services in Aberdeen. The pheasant count is also consistently high, due to the perfect habitat of wetland, pasture, crop land, and tree strips. //

by JENIFER FJELSTAD

Season Dates

YOUTH Oct. 5-9 | RESIDENT Oct. 12-14

TRADITIONAL Oct. 19 - Jan. 5

Online Resources & Maps

The 2019 Brood Report www.gfp.sd.gov

Maps of Public Hunting Land www.gfp.sd.gov and www.aberdeenpheasant.com

Hunting Lodges in Brown County

Axlund Pheasant Country Hunts (Aberdeen) pheasantcountryhunts.com

Base Kamp Lodge (Groton) basekamplodge.com

City of Redfield (Redfield) www.redfield-sd.com

Coteau View Pheasant Hunts and Kennels (Conde) www.coteauviewhunts.com

Dakota Game Lodge (Onaka) dakotagamelodge.com

Dakota Pheasant Guide (Mellette) dakotapheasantguide.com

Daybreak Lodge/Pine Shadow Kennels (Frederick) pineshadows.com

Flatland Flyways (Hecla) flatlandflyways.com

Foote Creek Bed & Breakfast www.footecreek.com

Half Cocked Lodge (Mina) www.halfcockedlodge.com

Hidden Hill Lodge (Roslyn) hiddenhilllodge.com

Hills View Pheasant Hunts (Eureka) hillsviewhunts.com

Johannsen Farms Outfitting (Tolstoy) johannsenfarms.com

Lynn Lake Lodge (Webster) www.lynnlakelodge.com

Old Bank Lodge (Leola) oldbanklodge.com

R&R Pheasant Hunting (Seneca) r-rpheasanthunting.com

RZ Pheasant Hunts (Zell) rzpheasanthunts.com

Royal Flush Hunting Lodge (Stratford) royalflushhunting.com

Wyly Farm & Ranch (Aberdeen) wylyfarmandranch.com

Basic Gun Safety Rules

Treat every gun as if it were loaded.

Always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction.

Be sure of your target and beyond.

Keep your finger off the trigger and

Hunting Tips

Dress accordingly with good boots, weather-appropriate clothing, eye protection, and fluorescent orange.

Steel shot can be used anywhere, but lead shot can be used in walk-in, CREP, or school and public land.

Come back in late season to hunt in the snow when pheasants stay closer together. Be a good steward of the land, cleaning up and hunting ethically.

Empty all guns before entering the vehicle.

Before hunting season, develop relationships with landowners and always ask permission before hunting on private land.

Top 3 Public Hunting Areas

Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) Land. Brown County has over 22,000 acres of CREP land, more than any other county in the state. These private lands are leased by Game Fish and Parks to be available for public hunting.

Aberdeen Pheasant Coalition (APC) Land. This prime habitat for pheasants is part of the incentivised Conservation Reserve Project (CRP). More than 3,000 acres are available in Brown County as part of the GFP Walk-In program.

The Casanova Game Production Area. This popular area located southwest of Aberdeen is one of the best state-owned lands for pheasant hunting.

Local Sporting Goods Providers

Dunham’s (605) 229-3023 www.dunhamssports.com

Jim’s Gun and Service Center (605) 225-9111  Jim's Gun Service Center Ken’s Shell Express (605) 225-6671 aberdeen.kenssuperfair.com

Kessler's (605) 225-1692 www.kesslersgrocery.com

Main Street EZ Pawn Shop (605) 262-3532  Main Street Ez Pawn Shop Runnings (605) 226-2600 www.runnings.com

SoDak Sports (605) 996-0316 www.sodaksports.com

Walmart (605) 229-2345 www.walmart.com

Young Guns (605) 725-2506 www.yggunsmithing.com

These tips are provided in collaboration with Chris Goldade, Pheasants Forever president and GFP office manager, Emmett Lenihan, farm mill biologist for Pheasants Forever, Jerry Ochsner, Pheasants Forever member, and John McQuillen, experienced hunter.

COMING SOON!

Have you noticed a lot of new construction happening around town lately? So have we! Here’s the scoop on some of Aberdeen’s latest building projects.

by JENIFER FJELSTAD

FAMILY DENTAL CARE

This family-centered dental office is opening a new facility in the spring of 2020 at the site of the former library on Kline and Sixth. “This new facility will allow us to continue providing the best care possible for patients of all ages,” Dr. Robert Sanders said. It will feature accurate 3D Pan modeling technology, 7-ft. windows for natural lighting, and a larger sterilization room with a full-time technician. Granite from the library’s exterior will be repurposed into a waiting room fireplace to preserve the site’s historic value.

FAIRFIELD INN & SUITES BY MARRIOTT

This four-story hotel hopes to open in the spring of 2020 on Sixth Avenue Southeast to accommodate guests with a modern lounge, fitness center, 90 guest rooms, and a pool. Sabrina Metz of Lamont Construction, which will build, own, and manage the property, said it will offer another option for brief-stay hotels in Aberdeen. “The hotel will be a nice inviting building to see when you first drive in on Highway 12,” Metz said.

C-EXPRESS, BLACK DIAMOND CASINO, & PLATINUM AUTO SPA

Expanding on the corner of Sixth and Roosevelt, this business will include more parking, laundry, the Black Diamond Casino, a beer cave, beverages and convenience items, and prepared foods. To the north, the Platinum Auto Spa will offer a two-minute conveyor car wash with complimentary interior cleaning stalls. Laundry and casino areas will open in September, while all phases of the project are set to be complete in early 2020.

LEWIS DRUG

This pharmacy on the corner of Second and Sixth Avenue Southeast aims to open in November. “The goal is to provide a state-of-the-art pharmacy for Aberdeen,” Regional Manager Brad Tams said. In addition to a traditional and drive-thru pharmacy, the new store offers 4,000 square feet of space for over-the-counter medicines, health and beauty supplies, greeting cards, vitamins and nutritional supplements, seasonal items, and convenience items.

Photos by Troy McQuillen