vermillion plain talk sharing the dream: fair...

February 15, 2013 www.plaintalk.net Vermillion Plain Talk 03

OBITUARIES

At a time of sorrow and uncertainty, you can count on us

for the support you need. • Prearrangement Services Available

• Video Tributes • Several Cremation Options Available

Lori Kober, Funeral Director, and Tom Kober, Co-Owners

402 East Main St., Vermillion, SD 57069 624-4466 • www.koberfuneralhome.com

Lynn Lawrensen Videographer

Eleanor Eagle Bear Personal Assistant

James Bartels Intern

Rick Steenholdt Assistant

Thanks to everyone who remembered us with calls, cards, flowers, memorial donations, kind words & prayers at the time of Maxine’s passing.

Memorials were given to Evergreen Cemetery, ROCS, Trinity Lutheran Church and The Senior Center.

Maxine’s Family Junior Iverson Bruce & Lee Iverson & Grandchildren

HOUSING DIRECTOR

Requires ability to recognize customer needs, present solutions, and be committed to serving seniors. Will lead/manage the daily operations of resident services, sales, marketing, personnel, regulatory compliance and fiscal mgmt. Must possess public relation/marketing skills; industry exp, leadership, problem solving and communication skills. Comp wages/benefits.

Welcov Assisted Living at Elk Point 600 E. Lincoln St. Elk Point, SD 57025 Apply in person or mail/fax resume to Cherilyn at 605-356-2097 or call 605-356-2774 or email hrdept@welcov.com EOE/AA

AMBER LARSON

325 Douglas Ave., Yankton, SD 57078 Office (605) 664-0980 • 1-800-658-2294 Cell (605) 610-6992 • www.gibsonmonuments.com

Beverly LowtherBeverly Ann Lowther, 81, of

Vermillion, passed away onSaturday, Feb. 9, 2013, atSanford Vermillion Care Center.

Bev was born in WessingtonSprings on Dec. 12, 1931 to Carland Floustine (Potts) Taylor.

Bev was united in marriageto Gaylord Lowther on March20, 1954. They had sevenchildren, Daron, David, Danieland Dean Lowther all ofVermillion, Doug and (Laurie)Lowther of Cheyenne, WY,Regina Myhre, of St Cloud, MN,and Don Lowther of SiouxFalls. She was very proud of hergrandchildren, Peggy Lowtherof Saint Cloud, MN, Anna and(Ryan) Beasley of Brookings,Douglas and (Heather),Lowther, US NavyYokosuka’shi,kanadawa, Japan,Chris Myhre and Craig Myhreboth of Saint Cloud, MN,

PatriciaLowtherand(DarrenWyer) ofCheyenne,WY, Jessicaand (Phil)Pascoe ofTea, JoshLowther ofNewark,DE,Chanelle

Muecke, and Monique Button,both of Vermillion, StormyEckhoff of Britton, andStephanie Lowther of Tea. Bevhad eight great-grandchildren,Hailee, Cameron, Ashton, Paige,Blake, Makinzie, Kylie andCarter.

In her free time she loved tovisit friends, go for walks,collect elephants and spendtime with her family.

She was preceded in death byher parents, Carl and FlostineTaylor; her sisters, Betty Pagentand Dorothy Voecks; herbrother, Arthur Taylor; herhusband, Gaylord Lowther; andher sister- in- law, PhyllisJohnson.

Memorial services for Bevwere held at 3 p.m., Tuesday,Feb. 12, 2013 at Iverson-Siecke-Kober Funeral Home,Vermillion. Visitation was heldone hour prior to the service atthe funeral home.

People gathered to honorBev at the Eagles Club inVermillion following thememorial service.

Condolences may be postedonline towww.koberfuneralhome.com.

Iverson-Siecke-KoberFuneral Home, Vermillion, is incharge of arrangements.

LOWTHER

Brigette FisherBrigette Maree Fisher, 27,

passed away Feb. 9, 2013, atMercy Medical Center in SiouxCity, IA, after suffering amassive heart attack.

A visitation was held from 5to 6 p.m. with a prayer servicebeginning at 6 p.m. onWednesday, Feb. 13, 2013, atKober Funeral Home ofVermillion.

A memorial service was heldat 1 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 14,2013, at Trinity LutheranChurch in Vermillion, with Rev.William Johnson officiating.

Brigette’s memory will live onlong after her passing as she choseto give the ultimate gift of organdonation to people in need.

Brigette was born to KavinFisher and Cindy (Larson)Carrington. She went to herSavior on Feb. 9, 2013. Brigetteattended Vermillion High School.She was involved in dance classes

andespeciallyloved to tapdance. Oneof her otherpassionswas as asoccerplayer inher youngeryears. Shealways hada smile onher face anda good-

natured attitude, which helped asshe sold Girl Scout cookies. It alsohelped her later in life as sheworked as an operator for Ansir-4-U.

Brigette lived for her threebeautiful girls. They were her rockin life. She did a wonderful jobwith her girls. She will be dearlymissed by her entire family.

Brigette is survived by herchildren, Destiny, Arianna, and

Navaya; her mother, Cynthia(Larson) Carrington; her step-father, John Wayne Carrington;her father, Kavin Fisher; her step-mother, Julie Berry; her brother,Justin Fisher; her sister, AliciaFisher and her fiancé, BrianKimball and his children; hernieces and nephews, Aribella,Alena, Shelby, Layne, and Ryker;her special grandparents, Darreland Barb Larson; her aunts, JoanDowney, and Gail Feidler; heruncle, Tim (Marie) Larson; andher first cousins, Mandy, Meggan,Shelly, Elisa, and Shannon.

She was preceded in death byher grandparents, Henrietta andJoe Fisher; and her aunt, LindaBuckner.

Services have been entrustedto Kober Funeral Home ofVermillion, South Dakota.

Condolences may be postedonline atwww.koberfuneralhome.com.

FISHER

Dr. Inman HeslaDr. Inman Adolph Hesla, age

90 of Austin, MN, diedWednesday, Feb. 6, 2013 atMayo Clinic Health System –Austin surrounded by hisfamily. Son of Inman Albert andAgnes B. (Brendsel) Hesla,Inman was born on June 2,1922 on the family farm in ClayCounty, South Dakota, nearVermillion, and was baptizedand confirmed at PleasantValley Lutheran Church. Heattended high school atAugustana Academy in Canton,graduating in 1940.

After attending AugustanaCollege in Sioux Falls for twoyears, Inman enlisted in the USNavy, where he served for three-and-a-half years. Ensign Heslawas involved in the Battle ofIwo Jima. After his dischargefrom the Navy, Inman returnedto college at Augustana,

graduatingin 1947with a BAin biology.He went onto studymedicineat theUniversityof SouthDakota inVermillionfor twoyears

before transferring toSouthwestern MedicalSchool/University of Texas inDallas where he graduated in1951 with a Doctor of MedicineDegree. In the meantime,Inman married Lois B. Larsonon July 24, 1949 in Sisseton.Moving to Minnesota, Dr. Heslaserved an internship at CharlesMiller Hospital in St. Paul. Thecouple moved to Austin in July

of 1952. Dr. Hesla delivered2,996 babies during his 34 yearsat the Austin Medical Center. Inthe spring of 1970 he served as avolunteer doctor during theViet Nam war in Quang Tri. Arespected member of the Austincommunity, Dr. Hesla wasactive at St. Olaf LutheranChurch. He enjoyedwoodworking, gardening,camping, singing and birdwatching. He was greatly lovedand will be dearly missed by hisfamily, friends and the Austincommunity.

Survivors include his wife, LoisHesla of Austin; three sons, Todd(Karen Johnshoy) Hesla, Joseph(Bonnie Beckel) Hesla and Bret(Jaimie Bennett) Hesla, all ofMinneapolis, MN; one daughter,Beth (Gregory Scholtz) Hesla ofWaverly, IA; seven grandchildren,Peter Scholtz, Rebecca Scholtz,Anna (Audun) Hepso, Paul

Scholtz, Samuel Hesla, RosinaHesla and Jeremy Kleider; a sister,Joyce Lee of Albuquerque, NM; abrother, Loren (Iris) Hesla ofDallas, TX; many nieces, nephews,patients, other relatives andfriends. He was preceded in deathby his parents, Inman Albert andAgnes B. (Brendsel) Hesla as wellas two sisters, Arlene Hamiltonand Helen Heihn.

Funeral services were held onMonday, Feb. 11, 2013 at St. OlafLutheran Church with A.I.M.Todd Portinga officiating.Interment took place in OakwoodCemetery, with a flag presentationby the American Legion Post 91.

The family prefers thatmemorials be directed to the St.Olaf Church Endowment Fundor to Augustana College inSioux Falls. Condolences maybe expressed to the familyonline at www.worlein.com.

HESLA

Julie SmithJulie C. Wince Haarsager

Smith, born Jan. 7, 1947 inPeoria, IL, to Carl and Norma(Nielsen) Wince, died Feb. 7,2013, in hospice care,succumbing to complications ofrenal cancer in Fort Collins, CO.

Our beloved wife, motherand grandmother was raised inVermillion, where she alsoworked for and attended USD.She married Dennis Haarsagerin 1966 and they had onedaughter, Jennie.

Julie was awarded abachelor’s degree in social workand master’s degree in publicadministration from Boise StateUniversity and worked

professionally in elder servicesin Boise and affordable housingservices in Fort Collins.

She is survived by GregSmith of Fort Collins, herhusband of 33 years, and, inQueensland, Australia, herdaughter Jennie Haarsager-Lieske, son-in-law Scott Lieske,and grandchildren Sam andNora Lieske. Julie lovedquilting, baking, and had aspecial place in her heart forrescued animals. The familyasks that, in lieu of flowers, giftsbe made to Larimer HumaneSociety, 5137 S. College Ave., Ft.Collins, CO 80525. At Julie’srequest, no memorial service isplanned.

By Norma C. Wilson

(Part one of a five-part series) In January I explored the Guatemalan

highlands with my husband and STDG Boardmember Jerry Wilson, filmmaker CharlesNauman, weaver Grete Bodogaard,environmentalist Dana Loseke and informationtechnologist Ronda Harrity.

Traveling with interpreter Miguel Nesselhuf wevisited seven artisan groups whose work ismarketed by Sharing the Dream, a rural schoolbuilt with STDG help, the Elder Center andelders’ homes, students assisted with STDGscholarships, numerous villages tucked amongstthe volcanoes surrounding Lake Atitlán, thecentral plaza of Guatemala City, the ancientcapital of Antigua and more.

The creative arts of America’s indigenouspeople are nowhere more visible than in beautifulGuatemala, and the need for Fair Tradeopportunities is nowhere more obvious. We metMayan artisans face to face, watched them workand bought their products. Despite an economybroken by centuries of colonization, corruption,natural disasters, violence, poverty andlawlessness, we found hope among the artisans,teachers and others working to achievesustainability for those who are most in need.

We were impressed with the conscientiousenergy – not to mention the great cooking – ofSTDG’s indigenous Guatemalan staff – DirectorDiana Ramirez, Elder Center Director BernavelaSapalú, former STDG scholarship recipient andnow Artisan Development Director IsabelQuisquina and others.

Isabel’s story was especially moving. After herfather’s death, Isabel’s family faced wrenchingpoverty. But with help from STDG Isabel was ableto go to get an education. After high school, sheassisted the former artisan development director,and now directs the program, working withgroups in remote villages, communicating withthem in the indigenous language, and helping

them design and produce new products in orderfor them to achieve sustainability.

On our first day we met with Justina,Clemencia and Dora, three Kachiquel womenfrom one of the weaving cooperatives with whichIsabel works, Corazon de Mujer (Heart ofWomen).

The group was founded in 1980 by Justina andother women who fled army attacks in theirvillage to the city of Chimaltenango. SistersClemencia and Dora arrived a decade later after

their mother died. There was no one to take carefor them, and they were starving.

Justina learned from her mother to sew whenshe was seven, and then to weave.

“When you want to get married you have toknow how to make your corté, belt and huipil;and if you don’t know how no one will want you,”she explained. “All the men know is working inthe fields. The women have to learn to weave tomake our clothes because the men can’t afford tobuy them.”

Justina said the army thought some of herfellow villagers were guerilla fighters, so womenwho left the village to market their productsavoided wearing their distinct weaving pattern forfear the soldiers would target them.

By marketing weavings through Corazon deMujer, Justina was able to support and educateher children and improve her home.

Dora was the eldest of five starving sisters whoarrived in Chimaltenango in 1991. Clemencia saidthat Dora worked long days for the bread shewould bring home for her siblings late each night.Dora wouldn’t eat until everyone else had beenfed.

Though she desired schooling, she worked andwaited until her younger sisters finished school.By then, Dora tearfully told us, she was so mucholder than other students it was hard to feelaccepted, but Justina and another older femalestudent encouraged her to continue.

Three years ago, at age 37, she graduated fromhigh school. Dora said she is happy now, becauseshe understands that, “God’s work is in the formof people helping one another.”

After the weavers demonstrated their skills,they offered us a chance at the loom. Grete, whoseldom works with a back strap loom, but hadlearned the skill in her native Norway, was up tothe task, impressing us with her work.

Like most indigenous women, the women ofCorazon de Mujer wear traditional Mayanclothing, but they have adopted some moderntechnologies, such as cell phones. They said thatsweethearts in their community stay in touch bytexting.

Hearing that they are always looking for newitems to market, Dana suggested cell phone cases.Ronda loaned hers to Isabel, who drew a templatefor the weavers.

Clemencia’s two-year-old daughter Guadalupegave us each a hug and kiss before they left forhome.

Sharing the Dream: Fair trade, indigenous cultures

Clemencia of Corazon de Mujer and her daughter Guadalupe thread a warp.(Courtesy photo)