Retirement

On Dec. 31, 2013, the front page of the Brookings Register had an article entitled "Retired...or could be" (http://www.brookingsregister.com/v2_news_articles.php?heading=0&page=76&story_id=19604).  Since many of us are planning for retirement, or may have already retired, this story may be of some importance. This link contains only the first three paragraphs of the article as it appears in the print edition.  The 87-year old Brookings resident mentioned, Clayton Sloat, is the father of our classmate Donna.  The remainder of the article notes that his parents moved around extensively in his youth, and that they lived "on a variety of farms in South Dakota."  When his father began working 60 hours per week at the Dairy Department at State College, earning 80 dollars a month, the family settled in Brookings.  

According to the paper, Mr. Sloat was drafted in August of 1944, a few months after graduating from BHS.  He spent about 18 months serving his country in the Far East, including one year in Japan.  After returning in October of 1946, he married his late wife Marlys shortly afterwards in December.  He began classes at State College, graduating with a degree in dairy production in 1950.  He taught for a few years, then ran a gas station with a partner for a while.

After tiring of the gas business, he began a job with company that called on dairies and creameries.  After about five years, he went on the road for about 30 years, selling grain equipment, bins, and dryers.  He "sort of" retired when he was 64.  

He took a part-time job with a delivery service.  However, with the introduction of UPS, Fed-Ex, and others, that job was rather short-lived.  As retirement loomed on the horizon, he decided to continue working.  "I guess I'd been going so long, to sit back and take the Social Security check and what retirement I had to me would be very depressing."

The past 18 years he has been employed at Daktronics, the scoreboard manufacturers.  He first served as courier, "delivering parts between buildings and around town, and to sub-ocntractors.  I've been to Yankton, Watertown, Minneapolis, and Redwood Falls."  He presently is working mornings five days a week packing and shipping components.  "It's a lifesaver as far as I'm concerned.  It's nice to have the money, but it's better to have something to do."  He has no plans to slow down anytime soon. He will stop working  "Hopefully, when they carry me out.  Right now, I have no reason to retire."  Mr. Sloat noted that continuing to work was therapeutic, as his wife passed away two years away.  

Congratulations to Mr. Sloat , to all of our parents, and to those of us still in Brookings who have made and continue to make our hometown a wonderful community.


UPDATE
A couple of days later (Jan. 2, 2014), the Register had another front-page article (http://www.brookingsregister.com/v2_news_articles.php?heading=0&page=76&story_id=19612) in which Mr. Sloat played a prominent part.  About four years ago, a Watertown couple was expecting their first child.  An ultrasound showed that the boy had a non-genetic limb deficiency.  His left arm below the elbow was missing.  The grandmother of the unborn child, who would later be named Andre, was a coworker with Mr. Sloat at Daktronics.  Mr. Sloat was a Shriner (remember the Shrine Circus when we were in grade school?).  Mr. Sloat was aware that the Shriners greatly aided young children with their medical needs, and so became Andre's sponsor.  Andre now has a prosthetic limb.  In fact, he has had several; he is now three years old and is fitted with a new one as he outgrows the previous one.  He even has two limbs at the present.  One is a myoelectric arm, which is powered by small motors in the hand, wrist, and elbow.  The motors "are activated by small electrical signals that result from a chemical interaction in the body, which is created whenever a muscle is flexed."  He is the youngest child the Shriners have ever fitted for one. He engages in all kinds of activities that any three-year old would.  About the only thing his mother thinks he will not be able to do is to swing from the monkey bars.  Because this myoelectric arm breaks easily, Andre has another one, called a "sport arm" for use in more rough-and-tumble play.  Although Mr. Sloat has been a Shriner for a short time, he has been responsible for getting aid for 25-30 people via the Shriners.  Again, congratulations are in order to Mr. Sloat for making a difference.