… several strides ahead of the rest of us” describes Mitchell. Even before there was Grade A milk, his purebred Holstein herd was producing milk of such high quality that it was kept separate for use by the Lead and Deadwood hospitals. He practiced soil conservation before it became an established program, building many diversion dams and, as early as 1939, blading … projects. He has been on the Lawrence County Extension Board 31 years, assisting three different county agents, and is now chairman. In 1970 Mitchell became a lifetime member of the Registered Angus Association and was one of the original board members of the Northern Black Hills Milk Association. He was a charter member of the St. Onge Commercial Club in 1948, and has been a board member and regular sponsor of the Western Junior Livestock Show. He served on the Lawrence-Butte County Farmers Home Administration Board …
… Bart Blum 2006 Eminent FarmerLyman Bart Blum and his wife Pat have ranched in the Reliance area for more the 40 years. The Blum ranch is a commercial Angus cow calf operation. They are Beef Quality Assurance certified, and use artificial insemination programs in their herd. In addition to cattle, the Blum ranch has registered quarter horses and 140 acres of irrigated crops. Gov. Mike Rounds appointed Bart to the State Brand Board, and in 2006 he was elected chairman of the Board. Bart has served …
… Enos Blair 1963 Eminent FarmerMeade Enos Blair is a prominent rancher, stockman and livestock breeder in Meade County and is well known and highly respected not only in his own community but in the entire state of South Dakota. Born in Fairfax, Missouri in 1886, he moved to South Dakota in 1907 when he purchased a ranch in Pleasant Valley for his father, George H. Blair, three brothers, himself and a sister. The spread was farmed as a family partnership for a good many years. The holdings were divided into separate units when their sons were old enough to go into business. The Blair brothers built up an enviable reputation in the registered Hereford cattle business. Their breeding stock and improved ranching methods have contributed much to the welfare of their community and to other North Central States. …
… Mervin Ogren 1994 Eminent FarmerMarshall Mervin Ogren has been a progressive agricultural leader in his community, county and state. With the philosophy "plan for the future, but work for today," he became a leader in adopting new technology. Ogren began farming in 1931 on the family farm that his grandfather homesteaded. In 1984 Ogren and his brother, Ralph, received the Century Farm Award. He started his farming practice with seven stock cows and after years of crossbreeding had a registered and commercial herd of 200 black polled Amerifax and Angus cattle. Ogren also raised feeder cattle, dairy cows, sheep and hogs. He was a progressive cattle feeder and put up …
… Carl Anderson 1964 Eminent FarmerZiebach Carl Anderson of Dupree is a man with a never-give-up attitude who has made a success as a farmer and still remains active and interested in community and civic affairs at an age when most folks pass such assignments on to a younger generation. He was born in Minnesota, moved to South Dakota in 1889, and in 1910 was one of the first men to register a homestead claim in Ziebach County. Through years of persistence and the pioneer courage to “stick-it-out,” the Anderson homestead grew to a prosperous 960 acre operation, …
… Gregg Stedronsky 2018 Distinguished EngineerWagnerMechanical Engineering 1984 Gregg Stedronsky serves as vice president of engineering, global safety and environment for General Mills. Upon joining General Mills … and focused on reducing project timelines and improving system start-up performance as well as guiding the corporate capital plan of $600-$800 million annually in partnership with the company chief financial officer. In 2010 he assumed responsibility for global safety and environmental programs. Workplace accidents have since been reduced by 50%. Safety performance is now approaching world class levels. In 2014 he added responsibility for global manufacturing excellence and continuous improvement. During this time he …
… Jerome J. Lohr 1998 Distinguished EngineerRaymondCivil Engineering 1958 Jerome J. Lohr earned an M.S. in civil engineering from Stanford University in 1959 following his graduation from South Dakota State … harvesting, field pressing and ultra filtration. Lohr also developed the process to produce non-alcoholic wine. He served as national chairman of the SDSU Foundation’s successfully completed Visions for the Future, $50 million for SDSU Capital Campaign and was a director of the SDSU Foundation Board of Directors for over 15 years. He was the founder, director and chair of the National Wine …
… John R. Michaels 1935 Eminent FarmerCodington John Rudolph Michaels, South Shore, was born in Dodge County, Wisconsin, Nov. 27, 1873. When he was 9-years-old he moved with his family to Codington County. Michaels’ formal education was limited to that which he obtained in a rural school, but he was a great leader in community and agricultural work. He was a member of the Germantown township board, the board of county commissioners and the local school board. Interested in the breeding of Guernsey … farming on their 320-acre farm, raising Guernsey cattle and Percheron horses. Michaels was among the first to raise corn, one of his early recollections being the planting of 50 acres of corn by hand. Michaels married a neighbor girl, Marie Redemske, in 1895, and they were the parents of three children. inline--right … John R. Michaels …
… L. B. Croll 1933 Eminent HomemakerBrookings Mrs. L. B. Croll was born at Marengo, Iowa. When she was a small girl her family moved to Dakota Territory, settling near Miller where they endured the pioneering days of … In 1898 she married L. B. Croll of St. Lawrence and moved to the 480-acre farm near St. Lawrence. The Crolls had five children—three boys and two girls. Croll was always active in community affairs, an ardent worker in the Presbyterian Church, a 4-H Club Leader, a member of the County Extension Board and county chairman of the Home Extension clubs in Hand County. After 1948 the Crolls lived in Brookings where they retired from their farm in Hand County. Before moving to Brookings, they had lived near St. Lawrence 50 years and on the same farm nearly 25 years. Croll had organized an extension club and a 4-H Girls Sewing club, was county chairman of the home demonstration committee for several …
… April 28, 1894 and was educated in Hand County schools. He married Myrl Morris in 1918. Their family consists of two daughters; Edwin Schaefer of Orient, and Arlette Rush who is a registered nurse in Miller, South Dakota. Rush has lived on the same farm since his marriage forty-one years ago. He is a prominent livestock and grain farmer who for many years operated some 1,000 acres. In recent years, however, he has reduced this to about 600 acres. He has an outstanding commercial herd of sixty shorthorns, a band of sixty hampshire ewes and raises Chester White-Yorkshire Cross hogs. Rush, a member of the County Crop Improvement Association, has a …