Imogene Van Overschelde, one of the first graduates of the graduate program in home economics at South Dakota State, died Dec. 2, 2016, at age 103.
Van Overschelde was a classmate with Zora Colburn, a well-known SDSU faculty member. The graduate program was approved in 1951, and they were the first two graduates in 1954.
Van Overschelde, who was tabbed as an SDSU Distinguished Alumnus in 1973, came to South Dakota State College with plenty of seasoning.
Born on the family farm near Letcher Oct. 17, 1913, to Emiel and Emerance Van Overschelde, she was the youngest of 12 children. After high school, she attended Southern State Normal College in Springfield and Colorado State College in Greeley.
She then taught in rural schools in Sanborn County before joining the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (later Women’s Army Corps) in 1943.
After her discharge, she enrolled in the home economics education program at State and earned a bachelor’s degree in 1948. Her maturity was called into duty in her first year at State as she served as housemother to 14 freshmen women in a residential house.
Her next stops were Armour High School, where she taught home education and biology, and Madison High School, where she supervised SDSU student teachers.
For the bulk of her career, 25 years, she worked with the state Division of Vocational and Technical Education in Pierre as state supervisor of home economics.
Van Overschelde was the spark for the idea of creating a school food service certification for school lunch cooks at SDSU and was instrumental in initiating the program.
She served on the national board of directors for Future Homemakers of America.
SDSU bestowed her an honorary doctorate in public service in 1995. Her accolades include distinguished service awards from the State Vocational Association and the State Home Economics Association, which designated her as the State Outstanding Home Economist.
She retired in Mitchell and was living at Avera Brady and Rehab at the time of her death.
Survivors include many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her 11 siblings.
