The birth of Christ and the joy of the Christmas season will be celebrated by area churches.
Christmas church serves planned include:
Winner Assembly of God
Pastor David Jahn
Dec. 24—Christmas Eve service at 5:30 p.m.
Church of the Nazarene
Pastor Ron Snethen
Dec. 24—Christmas Eve service at 5 p.m.
Immaculate Conception Catholic Church of Winner
Fr. Kevin Achbach
Dec. 24—5 p.m. Mass
Dec. 25—Christmas day Mass, 8:30 a.m.
Dec. 25—Christmas evening Mass, 6 p.m.
St. Isidore of Colome
Fr. Kevin Achbach
Dec. 24—Christmas Eve Mass, 7 p.m.
Our Lady of Good Counsel of Wood
Fr. Kevin Achbach
Dec. 25—Christmas Mass at 2 p.m.
Winner United Methodist Church
Rev. John Price
Dec. 24—Christmas Eve service, 5 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Winner Orthodox Presbyterian Church
Pastor Nick Barnes
Dec. 24—Christmas Eve service at 5 p.m. This will be a combined service in Winner with Hamill Presbyterian Church
Baptist Church of Winner
Pastor Justin Wheadon
Dec. 24—Candlelight service at 5:30 p.m.
Zion Lutheran of Colome
Pastor Don Windspurger
Dec. 24—Christmas Eve service at 7:30 p.m.
Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church of Winner
Pastor Don Windspurger
Dec. 24—Christmas Eve service at 6 p.m.
First Christian Church
Pastor Maurice Gustafson
Dec. 24—Candlelight service at 7:30 p.m.
Christ Lutheran Church
Pastor Wade Harr
Dec. 24—Christmas Eve service at 8:15 p.m.
Zion Lutheran of Hamill
Pastor Wade Harr
Dec. 24—Christmas Eve service, 7 p.m.
By Lura Roti for South Dakota Farmers Union
South Dakota Farmers Union (SDFU) recognizes Jim Woster and Joel Keierleber for their dedicated service to South Dakota agriculture. The state’s largest agriculture organization named them the 2021 Ag Ambassadors during an awards ceremony held December 16 and 17 in Huron during the organizations 106th State Convention.
“South Dakota’s agriculture depends on strong leadership. And for decades, Jim Woster and Joel Keierleber have provided wisdom, advocacy and support for South Dakota’s family farmers, ranchers and the organizations that serve them,” said SDFU President, Doug Sombke.
Jim Woster grew up on his family’s Reliance crop and cattle operation. He is a 1962 graduate of South Dakota State University. Woster went on to become a cattle buyer, agriculture columnist, Associate Editor of Tri-State Neighbor and an enthusiastic advocate for South Dakota agriculture.
Joel Keierleber fought all odds to follow his passion for farming when as a young man, the third-generation Tripp County farmer endured a devastating farm accident. A conservation-minded and progressive crop and cattle producer, Keierleber saw the need to step away from his farm from time to time to advocate for policy to support family farmers and ranchers in Pierre and Washington, D.C. Keierleber is a lifetime Farmers Union member, serving seven years on the SDFU board of directors.
To learn more about Woster and Keierleber’s passion for South Dakota Agriculture, its people and what they see for the future of agriculture, SDFU recently interviewed the 2021 Ag Ambassadors. Below is the Q&A from this interview.
Q: Tell us about how you got your start in your career?
Jim Woster: My dad, Henry, like a hundred other dads of his generation, was not able to go to college. He insisted that the Woster and McManus clan would go to college. As the oldest, I was the first to attend. And there was never any discussion about where I was going. I was going to South Dakota State University.
He also insisted that no matter what we did after college, we did something that would get us out and off the farm to see what the world has to offer.
From my first trip to the stockyards as a 10 or 11-year-old with my dad and Uncle Frank, I have always been intrigued with the stockyards. I was able to get a job at the Sioux Falls Stockyards working for the Farmers Union Livestock Exchange and never had any urge to go any other place.
Joel Keierleber: I knew I wanted to farm from the time I was 5. I grew up on a dairy farm near Clearfield. The fifth of nine children, I was driving the pickup to help dad feed small bales before I started kindergarten. After high school, I took a course in diesel mechanics and returned home to help dad. Audrey and I began saving money to buy a place of our own before our wedding. A few months before the wedding I was in a serious farm accident. My arm was caught in a silo unloader.
When I was in the hospital, they told me that I would never lift my arm above my head again. They recommended I go back to school so I could get a desk job. I did not listen to them. I figured I had not failed yet. It’s my belief that you have to fail two or three times to see if you can succeed. And Audrey stuck by me.
In 1978 we found our farm, 320 acres, three and some odd miles from Colome. It was a less than ideal time to get started. The Farm Crisis was underway, but somehow, with Audrey’s small teacher’s salary and a lot of pencil to paper, we made the payments. And we’re still here.
Q: What did you enjoy about this career in agriculture?
Joel Keierleber: Caring for the land and livestock. And I get to be creative because I have to be creative. I never stick to one plan. I sit down and pencil it out to see what the most cost-effective way will be to farm and that is what I go with.
Frugal farming led me to no-till management practices. I could not afford tillage. When I started in 1980 the fields were only at .8 percent organic matter, and they did not hold moisture. Today, my fields are between 4 and 6 percent organic matter. I also plant cover crops.
In addition to improving soil health, Audrey and I have planted thousands of trees.
Today, I enjoy sharing what I have learned with the next generation. We are helping a young man who wants to make a career of farming, take over our farm.
Jim Woster: The people. In my work, I represented farmers in the sale of their cattle, hogs and sheep. In the mornings, I’d be at the sale barn and in the afternoons, I’d be out in the country driving up and down the side roads, meeting with farmers to let them know the value of their cattle.
These customers were people like my own family and the neighbors I’d grown up with. I’d pull into a place, walk through their 80 or 90 or 100-head of cattle, tell them what they were worth and then they’d say it was coffee time or lunch time. (It got to where I knew who would invite me in for lunch, so I’d purposefully plan to be at their place around noon.) So, we would sit and visit. I got to be really close with these families.
Like I said before, Stockyard customers were just like the families I grew up with. I always say how blessed I was to have been born and raised where I was, when I was, with whom I was. It may sound hokey, but neighbors helped neighbors. They shared farm equipment and labor. Everybody worked together.
Q: Joel, tell us what you enjoyed about raising your daughters on the farm?
Joel Keierleber: Because Audrey worked fulltime as a teacher, I was always involved with raising our now grown daughters, Brecky Cwach and Christine Wood. I got up in the night to feed them bottles just as much as Audrey did.
When they were old enough, they worked right alongside us. I have always said that our two daughters can push cows through a chute faster than any of the help, who were all boys. When I was in the hospital last fall, the girls worked all the cattle – they got them DNA tested and helped wean.
*Trauma from the farm accident left Joel a Type-1 diabetic at 23. In 2020, he received a kidney transplant. While he was recovering from the transplant, he contracted COVID-19 and suffered multiple strokes. He spent 100 days in the hospital, and away from his beloved farm. Today, he is not fully recovered, but he is farming once again.
Q: Jim, tell us how you became a columnist?
It went back to my work at the Stockyards. As secretary of the Exchange, I would do the markets for radio and TV. And because of this visibility, I would get asked to volunteer to MC different events – SDSU basketball games, FFA banquets, community fundraisers, well one day, I get this call from a Sioux Falls businessman who told me he was starting a farm paper. He was up front with me. He said, “everybody knows who you are, and I need someone everyone knows to be a part of my paper.”
I was up front with him and said, “I am not a journalist or writer.” He told me to just write how I talk.
Q: Tell us about your passion for agriculture advocacy?
Joel Keierleber: Well, somebody needs to stand up for the family farm and individual farmers. I grew up watching my dad’s involvement in farm organizations. He was part of the National Farm Organization. As a child I would go to meetings with him.
I know that as farmers we are busy trying to make money. And some say they do not have time to get involved. But if we do not take time away from the farm to stand up for better prices, we will not be able to make money on the farm.
I have seen what involvement in organizations can do. Farmers Union advocated for Country of Origin Labeling (COOL). And it was good for cattle producers during the short time that we had it.
Jim Woster: The importance of agriculture and family operations really started hitting home to me with the struggles of the 1980s. We lost a lot of good farmers. And I knew a lot of farm families who lost their farms. The 80s were tough, not only economically, but socially for our state.
Q: What are your thoughts about South Dakota agriculture today and into the future?
Jim Woster: For many years, to help solve problems, farmers and ranchers formed groups – whether it be co-ops or commodity organizations. And not all these organizations may have been on the same page when it came to ways to solve these problems. Well, it appears to me, that today, when it comes to working to fix this cattle market issue, everyone is back on the same page. We are one group working together. This is encouraging.
Another thing that we are all on the same about is sustainability. You can’t attend an ag conference without at least one session focusing on sustainability. To ag people, sustainability of the environment makes sense. The land is our life and livelihood.
Joel Keierleber: I hope to see more young people get involved in farming. But it’s tough to get started in agriculture if you do not inherit land from your family. I encourage farmers looking to retire, to seek out a young farmer trying to get started and work with them to take over. I think this is a better plan than selling land to the big farmer buying up all the land in the county.
To help the next generation of small farmers, I feel they need more rural access to non-agricultural income. Since the early 90’s I have worked to get wind development started. Our area is a Class 4 wind area, one of the best in South Dakota. But we do not have the large power lines to move the electricity to areas that need it. There have been numerous groups interested. It has not happened yet.
With the Christmas holiday just a few short days away, government offices in Winner will be closed over the holiday.
The Tripp County Courthouse will be closed Dec. 23, 24 and 25 plus Dec. 31, New Year’s Eve.
The Tripp County Library will be closed Dec 23, 24 and 25.
All state offices in Winner will close at noon on Dec. 23. They will be closed Dec. 24 and on Christmas day.
The city of Winner office will be closed all day Dec. 24.
The Winner Post Office window will close at 2 p.m. Christmas Eve.
The Winner Advocate will be closed all day Dec. 24 and Dec.25 so staff can spend time with their family.
Financial institutions will be closing early Dec. 24 for the holiday.
First Fidelity Banks of Winner and Colome will close at noon on Christmas Eve.
BankWest will be closing at noon Dec. 24 as well as Well Fargo.
Sentinel Federal Credit Union will close at noon on Dec. 24.
There will be no meal at the senior citizens center on Dec. 24.
Southern Plains Behavioral Health Services will be closed all day Dec. 24.
Kerri Old Lodge, 38, of Winner, SD passed away on Sunday, Dec. 12, 2021 at the Winner Regional Health Care Facility in Winner, SD.
Funeral services were held on Monday, Dec. 20, 2021 at noon at the Winner Ideal Community Hall in Winner, SD. Burial followed in the Winner City Cemetery. Wake services began at 6 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 19, 2021 at the Winner Ideal Community Hall in Winner.
Kerri Janeen Old Lodge was born Feb. 8, 1983 to Franklin “Frank” & Martha (Eagle Star) Old Lodge in Winner, SD. Kerri joined her father Frank in heaven on Dec. 12th, 2021 at the young age of 38.
Kerri went to school in Ideal until her high school years she then attended Todd County and Winner High Schools.
Kerri has 2 loving children Ryleigh Rae & Stephan Pierre Old Lodge. Kerri was a very loving, caring, unique young lady. She had a smile that would brighten up anyone’s world. There was never a dull moment with Kerri, she was forever laughing and cracking jokes. Kerri had a heart of gold. She was always willing to open her door to anyone in need. She definitely made sure you didn’t go away hungry.
Kerri loved to bake and help her mom cook especially during the holidays. Kerri loved her mother, her children, her siblings, nieces & nephews unconditionally.
Kerri is survived by her 2 children Ryleigh Rae & Stephan Pierre Old Lodge. Her mother Martha (Eagle Star) Old Lodge; 3 sisters: Melissa “Lisa”, Nealy (Patrick) Old Lodge, Geraldine (Wayne Jr.) Running Horse; 5 brothers: Quentin “Bub” (Delphine), Howard Sr. (Jolene) Old Lodge all of Winner, SD, Brent (Mandy) Old Lodge Witten, SD, Franklin Jr. & Troy Old Lodge of Ideal, SD. Her aunts Lorelie Old Lodge of Oklahoma, Nancy Old Lodge of California, Zona (Eagle Star) Turkey of Huron, SD, & Ruth (Kevin) Olson of Sioux Falls, SD. Her uncles Clyde & Emmet Swalla of Lower Brule, SD, Million Eagle Star of Winner, SD, & Donnie (Alberta) Old Lodge of Norris, SD.
Kerri is preceded in death by her father Frank Old Lodge Sr., uncles Antoine “Tony” Sr. & Jasper Eagle Star. Aunts Marva & Karen Eagle Star, Trudy Old Lodge. Her paternal grandparents Howard & Irene (Felix) Old Lodge. Maternal grandparents Homer & Cona (Lever) Eagle Star. Nephews Homer & Jaeden Old Lodge.
Melvin Dale Cook, 95, of North Platte, Neb., passed away on Dec. 14, 2021, at North Platte Care Center.
He was born on May 27, 1926, to Stewart and Zelma (Beemer) Cook on the family homestead in Burke, South Dakota. He grew up on a farm 10 miles southwest of Clearfield, South Dakota, and attended the Lutheran school.
His family, like most, moved around frequently during the Great Depression before settling in Colome, South Dakota, where he also continued his education. Melvin enlisted in the US Navy during his junior year of high school. Following boot camp, he was assigned to a naval ammunition depot in Port Chicago, California. Melvin received his G.E.D. and was discharged from the Navy. He then returned to South Dakota and enrolled at Dakota Wesleyan University in September 1946. As a music major, he joined a traveling territory dance band the Buddy Bair Band.
Melvin married his high school sweetheart, Vera Joyce Gagan in Gregory, South Dakota. To this union a daughter was born, Melva Jean Cook. The family moved to Omaha and Melvin attended a National Railroad School. After graduation, they moved to Oshkosh where he worked as a student telegrapher and station agent. In 1951, the family moved to North Platte where Melvin worked for the Union Pacific Railroad until he retired April 1, 1986.
He is preceded in death by his parents; wife, Vera; and sister, Fairy “Cookie” Gardner. Melvin is survived by his daughter, Melva Jean Cook; niece, Sherry (Doug) Best; nephews, Scott (Jane) Gardner, Bob (Vanessa) Gardner, Bill (Bonnie) Gardner and Barry (Rachell) Gardner; and other family. Online condolences can be shared at adamsswanson.com. Cremation was chosen and inurnment will take place at Fort McPherson National Cemetery, near Maxwell. Adams & Swanson Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Jean Snavely, 98, of Winner, SD passed away on Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2021 at the Winner Regional Long Term Care Center in Winner, SD.
Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2021 at 11 a.m. at the Winner United Methodist Church in Winner, SD. Burial will follow in the Winner City Cemetery. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the services.
Eleanor Jean Snavely, 98, of Winner, SD passed away peacefully on Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2021, at the Winner Regional Long Term Care Center surrounded by family.
Jean Thee was born Sept. 1, 1923 to Victor and Amy (Bonsall) Thee in St. Joseph, MO. Jean grew up on a farm near Columbia, MO and later graduated from high school in St. Joseph, MO. She was united in marriage to Wayne Bunnell and to this union one son, Gary, was born.
In 1957, Jean married Jack Snavely and to this union two sons, David and Chris, were born. Jack and Jean made their home in Sioux Falls, SD until moving to Winner, SD in 1999 to be closer to family.
Jean enjoyed spending the winters in Texas with Jack. They enjoyed the warm weather and Jean stayed very busy with outside activities. She played golf and tennis and loved having family visit to enjoy the weather and activities. Jean loved pets and enjoyed visits from Barney after moving to the Long-Term Care Center. She especially loved watching her grandchildren grow up and spending time with them. One of her favorite past times as she got older was rocking her great-grandbabies.
Jean was a member of Our Saviors Lutheran Church in Sioux Falls and attended the United Methodist Church in Winner.
Grateful for having shared her life are her sons, Gary (Sally) Bunnell of Bellevue, NE, David (Cathy) Snavely of Spring, TX, and Chris (Julie) Snavely of Winner, SD; grandchildren Mark (Diana) Bunnell of Plattsmouth, NE, Thomas (Jessica Scarfuto) Snavely of Bryan,TX, Heather (Adam) Anderson of Tea, SD, and Elizabeth (Christopher) Hobaugh of Spring, TX; great-grandchildren Sarah Bunnell, Ava, Jack , Ellie, and Lennox Anderson, James Hobaugh and Jarom Bell.
Jean is preceded in death by her husband, Jack Snavely; parents Victor and Amy Thee; brothers Frank and Walter Thee and several nieces and nephews.
Brett Donald Brickman, age 55, of Carter, SD, passed away on Friday, Dec. 10, 2021, in Gregory, SD.
Funeral services were held on Friday, Dec. 17, 2021, at the United Methodist Church in Winner, SD, at 11:00 a.m. with a visitation one hour prior to services.
Brett was born Aug. 5, 1966, in Winner, SD, to Donald and Eva Jean (Hansen) Brickman. He joined an older brother Bryan at home. This completed their family.
Brett attended country schools, Schmidt School and Happy Valley School. He then attended Todd County High School where he graduated in 1984. Brett played football, basketball, and track. He enjoyed shop class where he learned carpentry, welding, and auto mechanics.
Brett met LaVonne Flisram through his cousin Teresa (Kuil) Mathis. They dated and were married on July 31, 1987. They lived in Winner for a year before moving back to the farm where he grew up and lived for the rest of his life. To this union two sons were born: Carter and the family was complete when Coy was born.
Brett was a kind person and loved his two boys, his world revolved around them. He could not tell them no, if he thought it was something they shouldn’t do or have, then his answer was “go ask your mom.” He could not walk past a cat without stopping to pick it up or walk by a dog without petting it. He was also patient if it was waiting for the boys to get ready to feed cattle or haul grain, after a short time they got tired and it was stop and drop them off at grandpa and grandma’s. His patience was also tested when he had to wait to put the bar up on the mower or fold the rake because his helper (LaVonne) insisted that the corners had to be mowed and raked, even though they would catch snow, it looked better mowed.
Brett was a farmer/rancher all of his life. His first years were spent working beside his Grandpa Hansen and his dad Don. The last years were spent working beside his dad and two sons. Brett trucked some in his younger days for Engel Trucking. He never considered that a job because he had so much fun.
Brett is survived by his wife LaVonne; his sons Carter and Coy; his father Don Brickman of Carter; his brother Bryan (Julie) Brickman of Harrisburg, SD; sisters-in-law Joyce Flisram, Louise Flisram, Liz (Alvin) Focken and Connie Rae (Doug) Frantz; brother-in-law Dennis Flisram; nephews Brandon Brickman, Justin (Heather) Focken, and Tyler (Kaitlin) Focken; nieces Brittany Brickman (James Woods) and Bryanna Brickman; four great nephews; one great niece; and many aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends.
Brett is preceded in death by his mother Eva Jean (Hansen) Brickman, grandparents Robert and Alma Brickman, Elvis and Betty Hansen, mother and father-in-law Jerome and Betty (Moeller) Flisram, and aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Brett left us on Dec. 10, 2021, after an eight week stay in the hospital as the result from a leg injury. He had tears in a blood vessel in his thigh that was bleeding and being absorbed by the tissues. It was detected when the leg turned black and blue and started to swell. He had numerous units of blood transfusions, so many that all of the iron became toxic and his body could not get rid of it. He had an angiogram that led to an aneurysm that had to be fixed twice. His blood became too thin, it would not clot. His body was eating up his red blood cells. His kidneys took a hard blow, but they did bounce back some. He developed another bleeder on Monday night. He was beginning to suffer. After visiting with doctors and specialists and a lot of consideration, it was time for us to choose comfort care. God took him home.
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