Harold and Phyllis Somsen grew up in the Depression and Dirty ’30s and struggled to make a living on their farm 5 miles from Castlewood, about 40 miles north of Brookings.
For their commitment to State, the Somsens were honored as the 2019 South Dakota State University Family of the Year by Staters for State, the student chapter of the South Dakota State Alumni Association.
Lowell, the eldest of seven children, started a family tradition when he enrolled at South Dakota State University in 1969. “I decided I wasn’t going to milk cows anymore.†He earned a bachelor’s degree in health, physical education and recreation as well as biology in 1973. By then brother Dan was already playing football for the Jackrabbits.
In all, six of the seven Somsen children enrolled at State. One of their spouses also is an SDSU graduate as are nine grandchildren and three of the grandchildren’s spouses, bringing the total to 19. Graduation years range from 1973 to 2017.
For their commitment to State, the Somsens were honored as the 2019 South Dakota State University Family of the Year March 2 during halftime of the SDSU-Western Illinois women’s basketball game as well as at a luncheon before the game. The award is presented by Staters for State, the student chapter of the South Dakota State Alumni Association.
The seven Somsen children are:
• Lowell, of Pierre, who has been part owner of FischerRounds Associates insurance agency since 1986 and is in the process of selling his stock and phasing into retirement.
• Dan, of Yankton and a 1976 pharmacy graduate, who has just retired after being co-owner of Yankton Rexall Drug for 24 years. He also spent 16 years in hospital pharmacy.
• Laura Bass, of Barre, Vermont, who spent a year at State. She married Brad, a Land ’O Lakes executive.
• Larry, a twin to Laura, who took over the family farm and dairy operation after the untimely death of their father in 1975.
• Leon, of Yankton and a 1982 ag economics/business graduate, who is a federal crop specialist and owner of the Somsen Crop Insurance Agency in Yankton.
• Jerry, of Webster and a 1990 mathematics graduate, who is a director in the Avera insurance division of DakotaCare. He also holds a 1994 master’s degree in mathematics.
• Russell, of Pierre and a 1991 park management graduate, who is an administrator with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineering.
The degrees of grandchildren have been as wide ranging—from economics to engineering. Although Laura and Brad Bass did not graduate from SDSU, their children did: Eric (’03 biology/education, ’08 master’s of educational administration), Nathan (’03 electrical engineering), Derek (’08 electrical engineering) and Darci Reinesch (’08 nursing).
Jerry’s daughter, Brittany (’15 interdisciplinary studies) and Lowell’s son Cody (’17 wildlife and fisheries sciences) complete the grandchildren graduates.
