Our July/August issue features the story of a traditional Native American naming ceremony held by Donna and Mike Stroup for their son, Jett, north of Pierre last summer. Keith Hemmelman photographed the event, but our pages could only hold so many of his images. Here are some that didn’t make the magazine.
Our May/June issue includes a feature on unique museums in West River South Dakota. We gathered several photos of our most eclectic collections. Here are some photos that didn’t make the magazine.
Branding season is in full swing across South Dakota’s colorful cattle country. Family and neighbors gather to”work the cattle,” which includes not just the brand but vaccinations, castration and anything else that may need attention. The work is done amidst the soulful background bawling of momma cows who are temporarily separated from their babies. Here are some photos from the Sutton Ranch, northwest of Bonesteel in the beautiful breaks of the Missouri River in Gregory County. Photos by Bernie and Katie Hunhoff.
Our May/June issue includes a feature on spiritual places in South Dakota. We gathered several beautiful photos of architecture and nature across the state to represent our religious heritage. Here are some that didn’t make the magazine.
Mike Pedersen, of Nora, has always liked Christmas. When he set up an old pipe organ in the town’s former country store in 1989, he decided to throw a big party. People have been joining him for holiday sing-alongs ever since.
Nora, southwest of Alcester in the middle of Union County, was never a big town. Today the population is five according to the town sign. The Nora store closed in 1962. It’s now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and Pedersen accepts free will donations at the sing-alongs for upkeep and restoration. He has festively decorated the charming shop with toys and gifts from past sing-along guests. An old pot bellied stove warms the room, neighbor women bring cookies and Pedersen makes the coffee and cider. Guests shout requests and Pedersen plays them on a beautifully restored organ. When his fingers get tired he makes room for somebody else. A young man named Nick, blind since birth, shared a few solos with the welcoming crowd last weekend. Other young guests later accompanied the organ with flute and trumpet.
Pedersen has extended this season’s open house for two more days. Guests are invited to enjoy this unique holiday experience Friday, Dec. 18, and Saturday, Dec. 19, at 6:30 p.m. Nora Store is 4 miles east of Union Grove State Park at 30707 475th Avenue. Call Pedersen at 605-670-1455 with questions.
Photos by Rebecca Johnson. To see a short video from last Sunday, click here.
The annual Christmas at the Capitol began with just 12 trees in 1981. Today nearly 100 decorated trees fill the Capitol rotunda and three floors of historic hallways. This year’s theme is “Christmas Around the World.” Its centerpiece is a 29-foot Colorado blue spruce from Baltic located in the Capitol rotunda. The public is invited to view the holiday display from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily through December 26. Several special events are planned for the season, including the 18th annual Ag Pie Day on December 12 when free pie, ice cream and coffee is served from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Photos by Andy Ogan.
Hoven’s “Cathedral of the Prairie” is visible for miles at night. It isn’t really a cathedral; just a prairie church. But Monsignor Anthony Helmbrecht, who presided over the Catholic parish for half a century, hoped one day Hoven might be a bishop’s home. Bishops have visited, and in the Jubilee Year of 2000, Bishop Robert Carlson declared St. Anthony’s Church a destination for Catholic pilgrims. But no bishop has resided in Hoven, and the Cathedral of the Prairie remains a small-town church — one of extraordinary beauty and grandeur. Photos by Dan Ray.
Fall is in full swing in South Dakota and farmers across the state are hard at work in the fields. Warmer than average temps and dry weather are aiding this year’s harvest. The USDA predicts South Dakota farmers will harvest their second largest corn crop as well as a record soybean crop. Sorghum production in South Dakota is also up 73 percent. Here some photos from farms around our state.
