Remembering Amanda

Sep 11, 2014

130 years after her death, a First Lady of Dakota Territory was remembered Wednesday (Sept. 10) at the Yankton Cemetery. Amanda Pennington had been buried in an unmarked grave since her death at age 47 in 1884. Amanda’s husband John served as territorial governor from 1874 to 1878 and remained in Yankton as an active citizen for years. Photos by Bernie Hunhoff.

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At a memorial service to dedicate a gravestone, two young children held pictures of Amanda and the Pennington family.
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Leaders of the state and local Episcopal Church conducted the service. The Penningtons were active members of the same church that still serves Yanktonians today.
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Deacon John Keyes (left) and Bishop John Tarrant led the crowd in “Blessed Assurance” to begin the ceremony.
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Crystal Nelson, a Yankton historian, told of how the Penningtons came to live in Yankton. The wild frontier was no place for women and children. Mothers like Amanda sacrificed much to come here and civilize the rowdy towns and cities.
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Yankton Cemetery is an historic place. Several territorial governors and numerous other pioneers are buried there.
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Gary Conradi of Sioux Falls told of how he discovered that Mrs. Pennington’s grave was unmarked. Apparently the Pennington family intended to move her body back home to Alabama to be interred by two infant children who’d died before the Penningtons came West. But Conradi learned that she was not buried in Alabama by either her husband or the two children, and then he found that Amanda was still in a plot bought by the governor.
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Father Jim Pearson, pastor of the Yankton Episcopal Church, blesses the new tombstone.
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The service was conducted under cloudy skies and in blustery, cool weather. Bishop Tarrant said it seemed appropriate, as it was probably similar to the day Amanda was buried in February of 1884.
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Norm Wright led the group in a beautiful chorus of “Shall We Gather at the River.”
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Bishop Tarrant closed the service with a blessing and then the crowd left for the Pennington House, built by Amanda and Governor John Pennington in 1874. It has been home to South Dakota Magazine’s publishing staff since 1987.
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Luken Memorials of Yankton created and donated the stone that marks the resting place of a First Lady of the territory.

Comments

12:57 pm - Thu, September 11 2014

Rebecca Johnson said:

This was such a nice event. I'm glad I was able to attend.

07:35 pm - Tue, December 9 2014

Melinda Pennington said:

Are there any photographs of her tombstone without the flowers hiding the inscription? Wondering what was engraved on her tombstone?? Wondering what your birth date was and if its the same as what we have. Thank you very much, Melinda Pennington