Ellen (Meis) Reindl

Ellen (Meis) Reindl was born November 12, 1921, to Gregory and Margaret (Moran) Meis at home near Geddes, SD.

She died peacefully on April 15, 2012, at the Custer Regional Senior Care Center where she had made her home since January.

Ellen attended St. Ann’s grade school and graduated from Geddes High School. She attended one year of secondary school at Notre Dame Academy in Mitchell, SD, and received her teaching certificate.

Ellen taught in some country schools around Geddes and Platte for three years. During her one year at Notre Dame she became best friends with Patricia Reindl and that sealed her fate.

During a trip home to Wessington Springs with Patricia, Ellen met Patricia’s older brother, LeRoy. At first she thought him a terrible “tease” and was not impressed. Eventually he won her heart and they were married in Geddes on October 9, 1943, and moved to a place near Wessington Springs where LeRoy farmed with his father and younger brothers.

Children soon entered the family when a daughter was born in 1944. She was followed closely by two more daughters and three sons. In 1954 LeRoy and Ellen took a leap of faith and moved their expanding family to a ranch owned by Albert Eggers near Reliance, SD. Another daughter and son were born there. After four good years at Reliance, they were able to buy their own place northwest of Custer in 1958. Two more daughters and one more son were born here.

Ellen’s life revolved around her Catholic faith, her husband and her children. She was a wife and mother first and foremost and never found the need to apologize for that. She used her teaching skills to make sure all of her children were readers.

LeRoy died on June 28, 1985. Ellen called that the saddest day of her life. She continued to live northwest of Custer and was active at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, the Custer Senior Center and in her children’s and grandchildren’s lives. She spent many hours making quilts by hand and on other needlework projects. Ellen moved to Boot Hill Ranch Estates in 2002 and to Wedgwood Assisted Living in 2008. In addition to LeRoy, Ellen was preceded in death by her parents and her four brothers; William, Ed, Vic and Ralph as well as one son-in-law, Pat Burke.

Ellen is survived by six daughters, Kathleen (Larry) Johnson; Wanda (Alan) Tounsley; Judy (Ron) Lacey; Marge (Richard) Wellman; Lynette (the late Pat) Burke; Leanne Reindl; five sons, Darryl (Janet); Lyle; Tim (Sherri); Kevin (Denice); Mike (Debbie); twenty nine grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren.

Mass of Christian Burial was held Saturday, April 21, 2012, at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church with Fr. Peter Kovarik officiating. Interment followed at the Custer Cemetery where she was buried next to LeRoy.

Memorials in Ellen’s name may be sent to either the Custer Senior Center or St. John the Baptist Catholic Church.

Arrangements have been placed in the care of McColley’s Chapels of the Hills in Custer. Written condolences may be made at www.mccolleyschapels.com.

Obituary

Frederick James Gregg

Frederick James Gregg, 32, of Wessington Springs died April 19, 2012 at his home. Funeral services will be held Thursday, April 26 at 11:00 a.m. at Basham’s Funeral Home.

He was born October 13, 1979 in Modesto, CA and grew up in California. He moved to South Dakota to be with family after the tragic death of stepfather. He worked for Chase Drilling and LSI Jack Link’s in Alpena. He was nicknamed Fast Freddie when he worked at detailing cars.

He loved his family and friends and the color green… everything had to be green. He could draw well, write poems, loved to shop for bargains and auctions. He would do anything for anybody, could talk to anyone. He was very kind and giving anything he could. Just got his car of his dreams, a 1996 Ford Mustang, except it was red.

He is survived by his mother, Ellen Miranda; two brothers Joseph (Joe) Lee Gregg and Ralph S. Gregg; daughter Haylee Marie Gregg; his fiancé Lori Kole; a niece, Kristina Kole; a nephew, Tyler Gregg Kole; his grandmother, Eda Cox; grandfather Jim Wood; Step grandmother Rose of Pierre;

He was preceded in death by his father, his stepfather, and grandparents on his father’s side.

Burg, 63, is a former District 22 legislator. The recent reorganization of legislative districts in South Dakota moved him into this new District 20.

“I want to continue to influence the future of our state,” he said. “That’s why I’m running for the state Senate. I’ve tried in the past to bring common sense ideas to Pierre that will help South Dakota over the long run.”

“I’ve seen the legislature when members have worked together cooperatively to get things done for our citizens,” Burg, a democrat, said. “South Dakotans are tired of recent divisions along political lines. I want to get input from the people in District 20 and work towards policies that benefit our state as a whole.”

As a lifelong resident of Jerauld County, Burg has farmed and ranched east of Wessington Springs. “Growing up in a family of 7 children, and working alongside my parents, Pearl and Albert Burg, I had the unique opportunity to see the struggles and successes in our rural areas and I take pride in the people who have worked hard to make agriculture our number one industry in South Dakota,” he said. Burg understands the direct impact agriculture has on all of our lives and says if agriculture isn’t doing well, other areas of our economy don’t thrive either.

“Right now agriculture is prospering and is one of the reasons our state’s economy hasn’t faltered as much as other states,” he said. He believes his knowledge and experience brings added perspective to the state Capitol on issues affecting people and communities in District 20.

Burg is part of the Firesteel Ranch Corporation with his brother, Jim Burg, and nephews Cory Burg and Jeff Burg. He attended South Dakota State University for two years and served in the South Dakota National Guard.

Education funding will be a critical discussion during the 2012 campaign, he said, because of the major cuts to education in the 2010 legislative session and the controversial education reforms in HB1234 during the 2011 session. “I have always supported teachers and students by advocating for adequate base funding for education and sound policies to support local school districts,” Burg said. “I was disappointed that more funding was not restored to the base formula for schools, giving all teachers and all students the ongoing resources they need to succeed.”

Burg serves on the board of a multi-county Community Counseling Services agency and is a director on the Wessington Springs Area Community Development board.

“The people we elect to state office make critical decisions that directly affect the lives of South Dakotans,” Burg said. “I don’t take that responsibility lightly and will represent voters in District 20 with solid decisions and true accountability.”

Burg served 10 years in the South Dakota House of Representatives from 1999-2004 and 2007-2010. He was a member of the House Appropriations committee, the Executive Board of the legislature, and a former House Assistant Minority Leader.

Quinten and his wife, Linda, live on the family farm near Wessington Springs. She is a retired SDSU Extension educator.

Koch announces bid for Jerauld County States Attorney

A Wessington Springs High School graduate has announced his candidacy for the office of Jerauld County States Attorney.

Dedrich (Deach) Koch, who graduated from WSHS in 1977 will challenge Casey Bridgman for that office in the Tuesday, June 5 Jerauld County primary election.

A graduate of the University of South Dakota School of Law, Koch lives with his wife Bonnie in Gann Valley.

He is experienced as a civil and criminal trial attorney. Koch is a former Deputy States Attorney and Human Resources Director for Custer County, South Dakota.

“I have had some people ask if a person living in one county can run for states attorney in another,” he said.

“Due to to shortage of attorneys in rural communities, the law was changed in 2004 so you can run if your county of residence adjoins, and the county in which you are running is less than 5,000 population, you do not have to be a resident of that county. This give voters a few more options when choosing their states attorney.”

Koch also intends to open a law office in Wessington Springs when he finds an appropriate office space.

He can be contacted by calling 605 440-2212 or email gvsdakota@yahoo.com.

Bridgman announces candidacy for State’s Attorney re-election

Longtime Jerauld County State’s Attorney Casey Bridgman, Wessington Springs, announced his candidacy for re-election to that office last week.

On June 5, 2012, Casey Bridgman will be running for the office of Jerauld County State’s Attorney on the primary Republican ballot. He will be challenged in that primary race by Dedrich (Deach) Koch, Gann Valley, who has already announced his candidacy for Jerauld County State’s Attorney.

Bridgman has been a Deputy State’s Attorney or the State’s Attorney for Jerauld County for the past 30 years.

He came to the area after graduating from USD law school in 1981. At that time, he entered into a practice in Wessington Springs with Chris Nipe and Scott Heidepriem, and later was in practice with Chris Nipe and Jeff Larson.

From 1991 until 2008, Bridgman teamed up with Jeff Adel, who recently left the practice of law to become a pastor. After serving as a Deputy State’s Attorney, Bridgman first became the State’s Attorney in 1987, and has served in the State’s Attorney position since November 1987.

“I have been challenged and rewarded in my position as State’s Attorney over the years,” Bridgman said. “When I first became State’s Attorney in 1987, law enforcement in the County consisted of the City Police Department in Wessington Springs, the Jerauld County Sheriff’s Office and the Highway Patrol who served our area. Since that time, we have established countywide law enforcement, which has worked well. We have established agreements with the City of Alpena and the City of Wessington Springs regarding law enforcement.”"

Recently, we obtained a drug dog which is handled by Deputy Shane Mentzer,” he said. “The addition of a drug dog to our law enforcement team will aid in our prosecution of drug cases in Jerauld County, which have become more prevalent in our area.”

In other areas of the State’s Attorney’s duties, he negotiated leases regarding the county hospital, beginning with the Lutheran Hospitals and Homes Society, moving then to HRMC, and currently to Avera Queen of Peace. One of the positive impacts of the lease is the funded depreciation our County receives.

In his regular practice and in the State’s Attorney Office, Bridgman has a law student that has committed to come to Wessington Springs and practice law in the area. Clay Anderson, who grew up in the Gann Valley, Mt. Vernon, and Huron areas, will graduate from USD School of Law in 2013, and he will be interning with me this summer. “This will be a great benefit to the community, as the smaller towns in the state are having a harder time getting younger attorneys into their communities,” he said.

Bridgman can be contacted by calling (605) 539-1066.”

Proceeds from the Thursday, April 26 chicken dinner at the Humm Dinger Convenience Store went to the cancer fund through Weskota Foundation. People enjoyed a delicious meal while helping out the cancer fund. Shown above are kitchen staff Evelyn Stuber, Karen Butterfield and manager Carol Van Bockern. There were 77 dinners served at $5.99 to raise a $461.23 donation.

When the red, red robin comes poop, poop, poopin’ along

BY CRAIG WENZEL

FROM THE TRUE DAKOTAN – MAY 15, 2012

 We enjoy our patio this time of year… even put up feeders to attract wildlife out of nearby South Gulch. Each spring the patio area includes foliage and flowers that might be a source of food and shelter for rummaging gulch critters — birds and butterflies, wild turkeys, deer families, squirrels , bunnies and such..

That’s why it seemed to strange when, one morning last week we heard a banging on the patio door. A male robin was repeatedly flying into the glass door pane, flopping to the floor only to rear back and do it again…. and again… well, you get the picture by now.

Most of the time the impact was accompanied by… er, for the sake of our family of readers we’ll call them “bird droppings”.

There were “bird droppings” on the door glass, on the patio floor, on the backs of the patio chairs… there were “bird droppings” on the glass top table.

Each evening Penny would go out there and clean up the mess. I began to hear her mildly curse the little creature as the week progressed.

One morning I sent Elvis, the family domestic shorthaired cat, out to do our dirty work for us. But he isn’t really interested in hunting much since his tenth birthday back in August.

That left the work up to me. “I suppose you want me to shoot the bird,” I half-asked.

“Well, there ARE a lot of robins!” Penny quickly replied, wiping up another large dose of “bird droppings”.

Wow, I am a hunter, but shooting a songbird doesn’t seem right. In a few months we’ll be enjoying the baby robins as they accompany their mother to the nearby mulberry tree for sweet treats. How could I shoot their father?

We stopped at a large home and garden store to see if they had anything that could help us out and still obey the South Dakota law that protects robins – even crazy ones. There on the shelf, right beside the mouse poison – I AM in favor of mouse poison, however—was what appeared to be the salvation for us and the objectionable droppings dropper.

I didn’t know they sell life-like owls and falcons – natural enemies of most songbirds— to be used for just the thing we needed.

We picked out the falcon with the bright Van Dyke Supply Co. eyes. I once guided a pheasant hunter who used a falcon for hunting, and it was incredible to watch the little hawk come out of the sky and hit a pheasant at about 175 miles per hour. So I chose the falcon replica!

We took our new house protector home and Penny placed it on the patio table, right where the offensive robin could see it. She slept comfortably that night, knowing that the robin would never be brave enough to return with a falcon sitting on the table.

Wrong! Not only did he come back for more “messing”… but he dropped an especially large one right next to the falcon. I think the robin probably challenged the falcon to a fight while he was there.

We are presently re-negotiating a contract with the cat.

Note: I have a picture of the falcon with the “bird dropping” beside it, but it is simply too disgusting to print here. I think I’ll post it on www.truedakotan.com.

Chelsey Schroeder

Terrek Butterfield

Trevor Kenobbie

Daniel Jackson

CulleyTobin

Mindy Kraft

Marie Massella

Sand Creek stream survey detects Topeka Shiners

PIERRE, S.D. – Reconstruction of Rosehill Dam, south of Wessington, (northwest of Wessington Springs) is being delayed because biologists who conducted a required stream survey of Sand Creek discovered Topeka shiners in the watershed.

The Topeka shiner is a federally listed, endangered minnow species found in eastern South Dakota’s clear, clean prairie streams.

Rosehill Dam was breached on July 29, 2010, after heavy rainfall.

Discovery of Topeka shiners in Sand Creek requires the State to enter into a formal consultation process with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to ensure that no detrimental effects to the species will occur if Rosehill Dam is rebuilt. The consultation process takes about 120 days.

Reconstruction plans may then have to be modified, and contractors would need to be selected. Because of the delay, it is expected that reconstruction of Rosehill Dam will be rescheduled for the fall of 2013.

It is best to rebuild the dam during late summer and fall when the amount of water flowing in Sand Creek is at a minimum.

To learn more about Topeka shiners and South Dakota’s plan for managing them, visit http://gfp.sd.gov/wildlife/management/plans/topeka-shiner-plan.aspx

THE LONG-AWAITED day for the Springs Auto parts inventory arrived on Wednesday, April 25, 2012. Pronto Parts warehouse men Sam Knutson, Jim Adams, Bob Jerred, and Scott Richmond helped the Springs Auto crew Calvin Hinrichs (second from right) and Ed Schroeder (right), during the delivery. The Springs Auto parts inventory went up in flames during the January 3 fire that destroyed the downtown dealership. Springs Auto has been working overtime to get back into full business and the parts inventory is another major step toward that goal. Springs Auto is now located at the former Ampride convenience store location at the corner of Dakota Avenue and SD Highway 34 on the south side of Wessington Springs.