She Represents The Best In All Of Us

Sunday September 28, 2003

Once again, the Spirit of Dakota Award Society has the privilege of honoring women who have been nominated for this prestigious annual award. The event will take place Saturday in Huron, as women from around our state come together to be recognized for their contributions to the social, civic, cultural, and/or educational advancement of others. Their leadership qualities, courage, strength of character and community commitment illustrate the best of South Dakota womanhood.

But what is it that makes a “Spirit of Dakota” woman? A composite picture of this year’s nominees gives us a clue. She may be a young woman, balancing the demands of marriage, motherhood, volunteerism and career – or one who was born before the turn of the last full century, and has now, at age 104, marked calendars in three centuries and is still going strong, still involved in the life of her community.

Our Spirit of Dakota woman chooses careers that touch and enrich the lives of those around them, from serving as a nurse aide in a nursing home or as an Indian Health nurse, to teaching in a one-room school or teaching countless young adults at the college level the broad range of skills in family and consumer science degree programs. She may work in partnership with her husband, ranching or running a dairy farm, carrying on even after the death of her spouse. She may choose to give 40 years of her life to public service, from positions such as Clerk of Courts or Register of Deeds, to State Auditor, Secretary of State or as a member of the House of Representatives.

When she’s not otherwise engaged at her employment, you may find her doing any number of things that promote or enrich the quality of life in her community. She writes and produces musical programs for Christmas, the Fourth of July, Easter or Thanksgiving, which are open to the public free of charge. She devotes many hours putting together a catalog for an all-school reunion, or organizing the revitalization of her community’s “Old Settler’s Day.”

Our spirited woman learned the value of hard work and giving back from her earliest years, caring for younger siblings or working in the fields and barn alongside her father and brothers, plowing, sowing and harvesting the grain crops, milking the cows twice a day and taking care of the chickens and other farm animals. Walking miles to school was the norm. Nor did she let physical limitations deter her from achieving her goals, whether it was overcoming a paralysis from a rare virus, or learning to walk, climb stairs and sort cows while balancing on crutches. The Spirit of Dakota woman takes her experiences and shares them with others facing similar challenges, offering words of encouragement and providing inspiration from her “can do” approach to life. Giving up and negative attitudes were never an option.

As a mother, she provided a home for five troubled children, as well as adopting four children of her own. She taught her kids, mostly by example, to finish what they started, even when it was difficult and a struggle. She also dedicated many hours to youth activities, such as 4-H, Job’s Daughters or the Miss South Dakota pageant – helping her children and others develop a strong sense of self-worth and good citizenship.

This woman also made sure her children were shown by example the value of a deep and abiding faith in God, and the importance of living an honorable life. She served in every area of church life, from providing flowers for the altar to leading in Bible studies or pulpit supply.

One letter of nomination likened her nominee to the sculpture that inspired the award. “When I think of the Spirit of Dakota woman, I see the statue at the Crossroads. I see a strong, hard-working woman, worn hands, but eyes that reflect a love that every Dakota woman should have. [My nominee] could easily be wearing that dress. She is that woman standing in the wind, strong and loving to everyone, always the one to give and never wanting anything in return.”

I would encourage you to join the friends and families of these remarkable women as we celebrate the roles they have played in shaping our state and communities. You will see that the Spirit of Dakota is alive and well in our state. I look forward to seeing you Saturday night at the Crossroads.

Sandy Weil is a freelance columnist who writes regularly for the Plainsman. She can be reached at home in Huron, S.D., or by e-mail at dakotawoman@santel.net

You can see Barry Doolittle's web page by Clicking here.
contact Barry Doolittle by email at: barry@doolittle.ph