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Nellie M. Willuweit

Nellie M. Willuweit
Nellie M. Willuweit

Eminent Homemaker

County: Pennington

Nellie (Nell) Willuweit is a true leader and teacher who has positively influenced the lives of many youth in western South Dakota. Her leadership has helped greatly to improve her community, county and state. She taught school for 35 years and is still actively involved in ranching.

Nell Willuweit organized the Pedro Rough Riders 4-H Club and has served as a 4-H Leader for 35 years. She feels that 4-H is a family/community project bringing people closer together. She organized a 4-H club so children would develop their knowledge of such skills as socializing with each other and other communities to gain a perception of responsibility and learn to interact with children/adults from other areas.

Willuweit began as a country school teacher more than 50 years ago. This was the beginning of a life-long career in building better futures for hundreds of children described as "lucky enough to be touched by this gracious, hardworking, nurturing, West River, ranch woman."

Willuweit began teaching before rural electrification brought electric lights to Quinn. She was very concerned about extracurricular activities. She organized rural girls/boys basketball teams, track competition among rural schools, county spelling contests and the Young Citizens League. Citizenship, sportsmanship, physical and mental health were always a part of her daily routine. Willuweit held the position of office manager for the ASCS Crop Insurance Agency for four years. She served as a member of the Wall District School Board. She is a dedicated church worker and taught Sunday school for over 25 years in the Catholic churches at Cottonwood and Quinn.

Willuweit has received a number of awards, honors and recognition for her teaching and leadership. Among these are the 4-H Leader trip to Washington, D.C.; 4-H Leader trip to the National Livestock Show in Denver; recognition for 35 years as a 4-H Leader at the South Dakota State Fair, where she also received recognition for 25 years teaching in rural schools and ten years in town. She is a member of the South Dakota Stockgrowers, Western Junior Livestock Show, Peno Basin and Quinn Extension Clubs, Pedro Pals, VFW and American Legion Auxiliaries.

She is the mother of three children and includes all of the children she has taught as part of her family.