Casey’s in Freeman is pictured on foggy early Saturday morning.

The Marion/Freeman sideline cheers on a victory in wrestling action at the Freeman HIgh School gym Thursday evening, Jan. 7. The Rebels were one of three teams competing; the others included Flandreau and Garretson. Canton JV was scheduled to be included in what was scheduled as a quadrangular but had to pull out because of illness. Watch for a detailed report in the Jan. 14 edition of The Courier.

Emma Esther Hofer was born Sept. 22, 1926 at the home of her parents Joe K. Hofer Sr. and Elizabeth Hofer. She was born at the Michael D. Hofer farm south of Bridgewater, S.D. and attended the Neu Hutterthal Church until the age of 14. In 1940 the family moved to the Dolton, S.D. area where she attended Dolton school and graduated from Dolton High School in 1944.

Paul Korn of Sayre Associates addresses city officials from Freeman during the council's first meeting of the new year held Wednesday night, Jan. 6. Korn was there to review the Main Street feasibility study conducted in 2013 regarding the possibility of a major capital project — a rebuild of the streets and sidewalks from North County Road south to Fifth Street. The project was never completed but the council — a new council — is taking another look at what would be involved in revisiting it.

Melton Edward Langle was born April 9, 1927 to Anton and Martha (Huber) Langle. He was baptized May 15, 1927 and confirmed June 29, 1941 at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church at Clayton, S.D. He attended St. Peter’s Parochial and Clayton District 65 Public Schools through eighth grade. He then worked with his father on the family farm.

John Eli Hofer, son of Rev. Jacob B. Hofer and Barbara E. Hofer (Wipf), was born near Dolton, S.D. on Oct. 29, 1923. He received his elementary education in Freeman Public School and graduated from Dolton in 1943. As a young boy he grew up in a Christian home, where prayers and his studying of God’s word was a part of daily life.

When Freeman Academy/Marion and Lower Brule squared off in Mitchell on Saturday for the second annual Sacred Hoops Classic, it was about more than just a basketball game. It was also about building a sense of respect for, and understanding of, cultures that are difference from one another. According to a statement read prior to announcing the starting lineups, “This classic is about bringing athletes from all corners of South Dakota together to not only play the game of basketball, but also to build relationships and gain a better understanding of all races in our state.”

This is Part 3 of a 3-Part series about the medical journey of one rural Freeman family. Click on the links below to read the first two parts. CLICK HERE FOR PART 1 CLICK HERE FOR PART 2   PART 3 “I, Sonja, am writing a summary of your accident so that you know why you are at Madonna and QLI, and why you have to work so hard before coming back home.”

A horse north of Freeman looks for grass in the snow on a recent winter morning. Light snow was falling Wednesday morning, Jan. 6, but temperatures are mild enough that there has been no additional accumulation. 

All five board members who represent the Freeman School District, along with Superintendent Kevin Kunz, spoke in favor of at least continuing the conversation about a possible partnership with Marion in terms of both sports cooperation and, later, consolidation.