Lyndell H. Petersen, July 4, 1931 – June 10, 2025
Described by Dave Bryant, former Dean of Agriculture, as a “man of towering integrity”, Lyndell Petersen was born on the 4th of July 1931, in Hay Springs, Nebraska. He graduated from South Dakota State College. His first job was teaching veterans’ ag classes in Minnesota. It was there he met and married Audrey Burkhead. The offer of a job brought the young family to South Dakota and Lyndell began his remarkable career with the South Dakota Extension Service. Over the span of almost 36 years, Lyndell influenced hundreds of 4-H members through countless horse shows, judging schools, and county fairs. He championed agricultural producers, zealously guarding and advocating for their best interests, speaking out on their behalf in the face of bureaucratic inefficiency and government overreach. In 1972, he lost his wife and two daughters in the flood that ravaged Rapid City.
He consistently worked to encourage citizens to access and participate in the legislative process. Petersen served 18 years in the South Dakota Senate and six years as a Commissioner for Pennington County.
Lyndell lived in Rapid City with his wife Jill and two sons, Dell and Ken. Building on the concept of auction-generated income, Petersen helped The South Dakota Stockgrowers establish a $500,000.00 trust fund whose principal would generate annual interest sufficient to fund statewide 4-H activities. He co-authored a guide book entitled “Blue Print for Success”, a how-to plan for organizing and conducting successful calf sales in each county in South Dakota. Lyndell sculpted the iconic “A Man, A Boy, and A Calf”, which now appears as a logo of the Livestock Industry Trust Fund. The original piece is in the possession of the family of Walter Taylor. The Western South Dakota Buckaroos, a trail-riding organization claiming a membership of approximately 300, generates an average of $10,000.00 in support of High School Rodeo and annual scholarships for South Dakota youth. Lyndell co-founded the ride held annually in western South Dakota, which began over coffee in the Soule Building in 1966.
Looking for ways to expand the Black Hills Stock Show beyond its image as a cattle show and sale, the Rapid City Chamber of Commerce welcomed Petersen’s suggestion of a Youth Day that would create a midyear character-building activity for young people. He was among the earliest supporters of the Stock Show associated with the Horse Sale, now a two-day event. In 1997, Petersen chaired the Long Range Planning Task Force for the Pennington County Fairgrounds and began a serious effort to promote the concept of an all-purpose building that would accommodate livestock events and trade shows. By 2004, the presence of the event center had reduced the dependency on the limited space at the Civic Center during the winter Black Hills Stock Show and also provided a year-round home for numerous horse shows, 4-H events, and sheepdog trials. While serving as secretary to the Pennington County Crop Improvement Association, Petersen urged and facilitated the planting of disease-resistant varieties by implementing crop improvement tours and easily accessible test plots. Lyndell also developed marketing strategies for the new crops, and Pennington County farmers realized not only increased yield but also increased revenue from the superior seeds. At its peak, the movement made Pennington County the largest producer of certified seed in the state.
On two separate occasions, Petersen led the effort to modernize restrictive organizational structures: the Harding County Livestock Association and the Central States Fair. Both groups existed as shared corporations. Through his efforts, each group became a membership organization with voting rights extended to all current members. Petersen influenced legislation that allowed the South Dakota Investment Council to implement a long-term business plan to develop an internal investment team. Over time, the success of this adjustment resulted in an increase in state revenue generated by the Investment Council, an amount measured in millions of dollars. Before special education found a permanent home within the public school system, Lyndell fully supported the First Step Preschool. In its almost six years, First Step has provided social and educational services to children with a variety of handicaps from its home-like atmosphere on Maple Street.
Individuals from all walks of life would greet Lyndell on the street, in restaurants, or at a gas station with comments like, “Hi, Lyndell. I know you don’t remember me, but I was in your hunter safety course when I was a kid.” One can substitute horse shows, judging schools, county and state fairs, or Farm Safety School for the memory-instilling experience of interacting with and learning from this patient, unassuming man. A number of people recall his abilities in Pierre and one of them recently remarked, “The Hall of Fame was meant for people like Lyndell.”
Per the family’s wishes, there are no services at this time.