Office of the Governor
For Immediate Release: Friday, November 2, 2001
For More Information: Bob Mercer or Mike Mueller, 773-3212

School Kids Documenting the Lives of South Dakota’s Fallen Sons and Daughters of World War II

(Pierre) -- Students at 68 schools across the state are working together to preserve the histories of the South Dakotans who were casualties of World War II. Called the Fallen Sons and Daughters project, they are writing biographies of those killed in World War II.

The project began as a classroom exercise of Sheila Hansen, a Spearfish middle school teacher, who assigned her eighth grade students to research and write biographies of South Dakotans killed in World War II.

Impressed with Hansen’s work, Gov. Bill Janklow earlier this year invited her to take the project statewide.

Janklow said, "It’s terribly important that we remember those men and women. We have to remember who they were and the freedom they stood for. Having school kids work on these projects is the best civics lesson they could ever have -- knowing the men and women who gave their lives so we can live in freedom."

To date, more than 400 biographies have been completed. The new statewide initiative will have students research, write, compile and publish the more than 1750 remaining biographies.

According to the most recent information provided to the Governor’s Office, schools currently participating cover casualties from 57 counties.

Volunteer classes are still needed to work on the project for casualties from four counties already partially covered: Bon Homme (9 of 24 remain), Douglas (13 of 16 remain), Kingsbury (9 of 35 remain), and Minnehaha (36 of 181 remain), and for the five counties without any class working on the project: Buffalo (2), Davison (44), Grant (21), Moody (19), and Todd (12).

If you have any information about someone who is a casualty of World War II, or if your class is interested in participating, please contact the Governor’s Office, 500 E. Capitol Ave., Pierre, SD 57501, phone 605-773-3661.

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County, # of Profiles, School, Teacher

Aurora, 6, Stickney HS, Duane Casavan

Beadle, 69, Wolsey HS, Jackie Fauth, Redfield HS, Mary Schwartz

Bennett, 12, White River MS, Steve Schumacher

Bon Homme, 15, Avon MS, Denise Hento, 9, Available for Adoption

Brookings, 71, Brandon Valley MS, Mary Erickson, Paula Hahn, Cheryl Peterson, Brookings MS, Jennifer Weber

Brown, 86, Groton HS, Les Hinds, Warner HS, Chuck Welke, Aberdeen Central HS, Carol Wuertz

Brule, 20, Chamberlain HS, Renee Long

Butte, 21, Belle Fourche HS, Sally Crowser

Campbell, 5, McLaughlin HS, Barbara Meyer

Charles Mix, 28, Geddes HS, Melissa Flor, Marty Indian School, Bev Myer, Platte High School, Marsha Cutler

Clark, 14, Clark HS, Sherray Hurlbert, Willow Lake MS, Julayne Thoreson, Lisa Hinkley

Clay, 26, Vermillion MS, Gretchen Scoblic, Kim Johnson, Elk Point/Jefferson MS, Patty Skinner

Codington, 56, Watertown MS, Becky Roth, Jody Childs

Corson, 19, McIntosh MS & HS, Jason Weisbeek, McLaughlin HS, Barbara Meyer

Custer, 25, Edgemont MS, Nancy Cape, Hot Springs HS, Marilyn Rowley

Day, 44, Langford School, George Erdahl, Waubay High School, Doug Riter

Deuel, 18, Clear Lake HS, Dawn Jaeger

Dewey, 23, Cheyenne/Eagle Butte HS, Douglas Petersen

Douglas, 3, Platte High School, Marsha Cutler, 13, Available for Adoption

Edmunds, 24, Roscoe High School, Mike Faw, Stanley County HS, Shirley Swanson

Fall River, 28, Edgemont MS, Nancy Cape, Hot Springs HS, Marilyn Rowley, Hot Springs MS, Kathy Beehler

Faulk, 14, Stanley County MS, Shirley Swanson

Gregory, 25, Bonesteele/Fairfax MS/HS, Mary Ann Koenig

Haakon, 8, Philip MS, Matt Schofield

Hamlin, 23, Brookings MS, Jennifer Weber, Estelline HS, Jan Johnson, Hamlin Elementary, Steph Sauder

Hand, 25, Miller HS, Sena Rombaugh

Hanson, 11, Rutland MS, DaNeil Olson

Harding, 9, Belle Fourche HS, Sally Crowser

Hughes, 12, Stanley County HS, Carla King

Hutchinson, 29, Tripp-Delmont HS, Eileen Gall, Menno HS, Kay Smidt

Jackson, 6, Crazy Horse HS, Stephanie Kaufman

Jerauld, 13, Chamberlain MS, Renee Long

Jones, 10, Rapid City Stevens, Stacey Schultz

Kingsbury, 26, DeSmet HS, Penny Warne, 9, Available for Adoption

Lake, 41, West Central HS, JoAnne Bohl, Jeanne Green

Lawrence, 39, Spearfish MS, Sheila G. Hansen

Lincoln, 19, Canton HS, Tami Van De Stroet

Lyman, 14, Lyman HS, Paula Mowry

McCook, 30, West Central HS, JoAnne Bohl, Jeanne Green

McPherson, 23, Gettysburg MS, Shirley Permann

Marshall, 21, Veblen HS, Cindy Hofland, Britton MS, Brian Freeman

Meade, 25, Spearfish MS, Sheila G. Hansen

Mellette, 10, White River MS, Steve Schumacher

Miner, 16, Chamberlain MS, Renee Long

Minnehaha, 145, West Central HS, JoAnne Bohl, SF Roosevelt HS, Tom Holmes, Marcia Votaw, Cleone Leistra, SF Christian HS, Blanche Hoff, 36, Available for Adoption

Moody, 19, Available for Adoption

Pennington, 80, RC Stevens HS, Michele Davis, Stacy Schultz, Wall HS, Connie Simon, St. Elizabeth Seton MS, Ann Nichols, Jefferson Academy, Ed Cromwell

Perkins, 15, Lemmon MS, Jane M. Heck

Potter, 14, Stanley County HS, Carla King

Roberts, 42, Tiospa Zina Tribal School, Michele Coughlin, Sisseton HS, Sharon Prendergast, Rosholt HS, Jill Eggers

Sanborn, 16, Rutland MS, DaNeil Olson

Shannon, 25, Crazy Horse HS, Stephanie Kaufman

Spink, 32, Conde HS, Laura Kramp, Doland MS, Katy Lyren

Stanley, 2, Stanley Co. MS, Shirley Swanson

Sully, 3, Stanley County HS, Carla King

Tripp, 38, Winner MS, Donna Brozik, Colome MS, Julie Rohde

Turner, 35, Parker HS, Megan Fischer

Union , 15, Elk Point-Jefferson HS, Deb Limoges, Beresford Jr. High, Beresford Jr. High

Walworth, 16, Mobridge HS, Jim & Marilyn Schlekeway

Yankton, 43, Elk Point-Jefferson HS, Deb Limoges, Beresford Jr. High, Shannon Peterson

Ziebach, 7, Lemmon MS, Jane M. Heck