Bob Gustafson's Sister

Bob Gustafson's sister passed away recently. I did not realize this, but she graduated from BHS in 1962. I had a brother who graduated that year. It was also the year that they won the State "A" basketball title, which we duplicated six years later. Her complete obituary can be found at http://www.rudesfuneralhome.com/index.php?option=com_obituary&task=details&oid=827

The Mother of Lonnie Herron Passes Away

Lonnie Herron's mother passed away recently. She was 94. On a personal note, Lonnie was on the same Little League team when we were 11-12 years old. He was our catcher, and could really hit the ball, too. Her complete obituary can be found at http://www.rudesfuneralhome.com/index.php?option=com_obituary&task=details&oid=828

Mrs. Joan Tabor, Our Librarian

This has been a difficult Christmas around Brookings for the members of our class. We have lost a couple of beloved mothers, and today we have lost our librarian, Mrs Joan Tabor. Our condolences go out to her and her family. I take no great pleasure in passing this information along. If anyone has some positive news to pass along, please advise. This is the obituary from rudesfuneralhome.com:
May 18 1929 - Jan 04 2011
Joan D. Tabor, 81, of Brookings, died Tuesday, January 4, 2011 of congestive heart failure at the Brookings Hospital. A Memorial Mass has been set for 11:00am Saturday, January 8, 2011 at St. Thomas More Catholic Church, Brookings, SD, with family visitation one hour prior to services. A visitation with friends and family and a celebration of her life will be held from 6:30pm to 9:00pm on Friday, January 7, at the Meadow Green Community Center, Brookings.Joan Dougherty Tabor loved to read, and she loved to find the book that would unlock the world of reading for students. In her years as the librarian at Brookings High School, she lured countless students into the world of reading with high interest books and a willingness to talk about every subject. Born May 18, 1929 in Huron, SD to Ella Gartland and E. B. Dougherty, Joan spent her early years in Omaha, NE and grew up in the many small towns of South Dakota along the Chicago & Northwestern railroad line where her father worked. They lived in Houghton and Iroquois, finally settling in Gettysburg where she graduated from high school. She attended South Dakota State University, graduating in 1951 with a degree in Journalism and began her career as an English teacher in the Watertown public schools. She married Theodore Lee Tabor in the summer of 1952. Her career as a teacher continued in Sturgis, SD, Belfry, MT and Hoven, SD, though she spent most of her teaching years as the Brookings High School librarian, from 1964 until she retired. She received her Masters in Journalism from SDSU, and had recently begun writing a series of short memoir pieces about her years in South Dakota.Music was as much a part of her life as the written word. Joan was an accomplished musician. She won awards for the piano and her singing in high school. In the Iroquois School band, she played trombone, saxophone, and trumpet - whatever instrument the band needed. At SDSU she was part of a vocal trio that performed in Rabbit Rarities and other college reviews, as well as on WCCO radio. Joan was an avid dancer, learning to dance from her father to the big bands of the 30s and 40s. In later life she learned the string bass and played for years in the SDSU-Civic Symphony. She served for years on the board of the Brookings’ Chamber Music Society, bringing a broad range of artists from around the world to perform at SDSU.After her retirement from BHS, Mrs. Tabor continued to keep libraries a focus, becoming a member of the board of the Friends of the Brookings Public Library, and she maintained her membership in the South Dakota Library Association. Involved in many organizations and clubs, she was active in three bridge clubs, Queen Bee of a Red Hat chapter, a volunteer at St. Thomas More Catholic Church, and a member of Delta Kappa Gamma and PEO.She is survived by her brother, Charles (Diana) Dougherty (PA); her three children, Liz Robinson (John) of Oak Park, IL, Kate Tabor (Sam Fishkin) of Evanston, IL and Matt (Mary) Tabor of Racine, WI; her eight grandchildren Mamie (Neil) Simpson, Abigail, Nicholas, Margaret, Madelyn, Emily, Sophia and Hannah; her two great-grandchildren Jonathan and Jennifer; and many nieces, nephews and their families.

Does anyone remember whan we first started classes our junior year? The furniture had not yet arrived for the library, and we had to sit on the carpeted floor. And how Mrs. Tabor scolded us for talking too loudly instead of studying quietly? The library wasn't for studying; it was a place to converse with friends (or so we thought). Also, I was not aware of her musical abilities. I heard her sing enthusiastically in church, but I had no idea that she played so many instruments.

Another Parent Passes Away

The mother of Pam Johnston passed away on tuesday, Dec. 28, 21010. This is the obituary from http://www.eidsnessfuneralhome.com/index.php?option=com_obituary&task=details&oid=698

Anmae Johnston
Mar 28 1929 - Dec 28 2010
Anmae Johnston, age 81, of Brookings, died Tuesday, December 28, 2010 after a short battle with cancer. She died in her home with her family at her side. She was loving mother, grandmother, and friend. Memorial services will be held at 2:00 P.M. Monday, January 3, 2011, at First United Methodist Church in Brookings. Visitations will be from 4-7 P.M. Sunday at Eidsness Funeral Home in Brookings.Anmae Moberg Johnston was born March 28, 1929, at Brookings, South Dakota, to John and Golda (Boots) Bishop Moberg. She grew up in the Brookings area, attended Brookings schools, and graduated from Brookings High School. She loved music and was very active in band and pep band playing her saxophone. Following school she trained for work with the telephone company. On January 30, 1949, she married Marion R. Johnston. They farmed north of Brookings for several years, and later the family moved into Brookings where Anmae worked for several businesses. Marion died May 7, 2009. Anmae was a member of First United Methodist Church and the Mizpa Club. She enjoyed many crafts, fishing, flowers, and her family and friends. Survivors include her four children: Greg (Michelle) Johnston of Miles City, Montana, Pamela (Jack) Schricker of Pagosa Springs, Colorado, John (Mary) Johnston of Brookings, and Jodi (Butch) Friedel of Brookings; several grandchildren and great-grandchildren; a brother, Jack Moberg, of Lake Norden, South Dakota; sister-in-law, Kathryn Chester, of Brookings; a special cousin, June Jones, of Brookings; many other relatives and a host of friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, and a great-grandson.

David Helfinstine's Mother Passes Away

Our thoughts, prayers, and condolences go out to David Helfinstine on the passing of his mother. This is the obituary that appears on eidsnessfuneralhome.com.

Jean M. Helfinstine
Jun 11 1920 - Dec 28 2010
Jean M. Helfinstine, age 90, of Brookings, died Tuesday, December 28, 2010, at the Brookings Hospital. Funeral services will be 10:30 A.M. Thursday, December 30, 2010, at First Presbyterian Church in Brookings, with interment in Greenwood Cemetery. Visitations will be from 5-8 P.M. Wednesday at Eidsness Funeral Home in Brookings. Memorials may be directed to the Rex & Jean Helfinstine Scholarship at SDSU or First Presbyterian Church. Jean M. (Fellows) Helfinstine was born June 11, 1920, at Janesville, Iowa, to Lloyd H. and Marian (Ballou) Fellows. She grew up in Waterloo, Iowa, and graduated from East Waterloo High School in 1938. She attended St. Luke’s Hospital School of Nursing in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and transferred to Iowa State Teachers College (now UNI) in Cedar Falls, Iowa, graduating in 1946. She taught home economics, history, government, and English at Colesburg and Remsen, Iowa. She introduced and managed the school lunch program at Colesburg. On June 11, 1949, she married Rex D. Helfinstine at Berkeley, California. They lived in Fargo, North Dakota, in 1950 until 1951 where Rex was on the USDA staff at the university. Jean was a member of the faculty women’s chorus. She was employed at St. Luke’s Nursing School and taught a class in child growth and development to student nurses. In June 1952, the Helfinstines moved to Brookings where Rex was employed by the USDA and Extension Service. Rex died September 30, 1995. Jean was an active member of First Presbyterian Church, serving two terms as elder, teaching Sunday School, singing in the choir, and serving as president of Presbyterian Women. She organized and taught an ecumenical Bible class. She gave piano lessons for 23 years, retiring in 1976. She served as president of NARFE, was a member of the Saturday Literary Club, and served as pianist for Golden K Kiwanis for seven years. Her hobbies included gardening, knitting, sewing, and playing piano and organ.Survivors include a son, David Helfinstine and his wife, Cathy, of Willmar, Minnesota; and two grandchildren, Ryan Helfinstine and his special friend Erin, and Betsy Staley and her husband Adam; and five great-grandchildren: Cole, Tucker, and Koda Helfinstine, and Jack and Ellie Staley.

Lee Colburn To Be Inducted Into SD Basketball Hall Of Fame

This spring, the South Dakota Basketball Hall of Fame will induct several new members, including our classmate, the late Lee Colburn. Someone involved with that project gave me a call, inquiring if I had some old game films. Fortunately, I do. They are only regular-season games, however, and not from the state tournaments. When I go home in a few weeks, I will lend them to him so he can transfer them over to a more suitable format.
Also being inducted are Roger Nelson, a 1954 alumnus of BHS, and Renee Sallquist, a 1985 alumna. Roger was friends of our family. He has known me since I was born, and was one of the pallbearers for my brother's funeral in 1965. They had run around together in high school. Roger had individual scoring records for a game and a career for a number of years. Lee broke his single game record of 37 by scoring 38 in a game at Pierre in our senior year. Oddly enough, Roger was there. He was teaching at Onida, and had actually refereed the sophomore game that night. He told me later that he wanted to be in the stands when his record would be broken. His wish came true that night. His career record was broken about four years ago by a boy named Phil Workman. Phil had been playing varsity basketball since he was an eighth-grader, so it seemed like only a matter of time before he would become the career scoring leader for BHS. Since Roger still lives in Brookings, he saw that record fall, also.
I was extremely fortunate to be associated with the girls basketball teams during their first 20 years of existence, so it is truly gratifying to see Renee earn this honor, also. In the future, there will likely be other girls from that era who will achieve Hall of Fame status. That team was ranked in the top 5 in the nation by USA Today, and their coach was selected by that newspaper as the national coach of the year. He taught me so much about the game, and I am forever thankful. Congratulations to all of the new inductees.
On another related note, many of you may remember Mr. Stuart "Skip" Webster. He taught at the Junior High/Middle School for a number of years. I believe he also coached us in freshmen football (with Mr. Rykhus), and he definitely coached us in "JV" basketball, because I was on that team. I can only speak for myself, but he had a big influence on my chosen profession. After teaching for about 11 years, he started selling State Farm Insurance. That career change proved rather profitable for him, and he is retiring at the end of this month after 35 years in the business. From the class of 1969, we wish him the best.
Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Safe and Happy New Year.
On a sad note, Andy Zephier passed away on Dec. 14, 2010. He was the long-time coach at the Flandreau Indian School. We defeated them to earn a trip to the state "A" basketball tournament in 1968. He has been inducted into various South Dakota Halls of Fame, and was inducted into the National High School Athletic Coaches Hall of Fame this past summer. His cross-country teams were legendary back in the 1960's. Our condolences go out to him and his family.

Happy Thanksgiving

Things have been quite busy at school out here and have not had time to post any items. Just want to wish everyone a happy and safe Thanksgiving. October was rather sad for us, as we lost two faculty members to sudden heart attacks. A student was struck by a car, but suffered only a broken collarbone when he smashed into the windshield. It's a miracle he wasn't hurt more severely.
Just read the web edition of the Brookings Register. The leading article was about a young college student who hit a bridge on the S-curve south of town after coming back from a school assignment in Sioux Falls. I wasn't aware of this accident, which happened about a year ago. I know him very well, as he is a former student and athlete at BHS. He has made an amazing recovery, it appears.
On a more somber note, do any of you remember Donna Holzkamp? She was two years ahead of us. If girls would have had the sports opportunities then that they do now, she may have been all-American. She was quite talented athletically. Her sister Jean was a year behind us, and was also very athletic. Jean, I believe, is coaching at Kadoka. She may have been the only female to coach a boys high school basketball team in this state. Donna passed away recently, leaving behind twin daughters Dana and Darcy. They are both former students of mine. There was an older brother Doug. He and I coached a teener baseball team one summer in the early 70's.
Also passing away recently was Lynn Emmett. He was a year behind us. Condolences may be sent to the family through rudesfuneralhome.com.
If anyone who reads this will be in Brookings during Christmas, perhaps you will want to get together with fellow classmates. I am going to visit a niece for Christmas, but will be in Brookings from about Dec. 29-Jan 7.