Myron Kusler
Myron Kuslers Life Story (from his personal notes)
I was born on Thanksgiving Day, November 30, 1933, to John and Amelia Kusler. The fourth of five boys, I followed Howard, Ervin, and Hiram. My little brother, Ernie, was the last son to arrive at our family farm southwest of Leola, South Dakota, where it seemed there always more work than could be done. My brothers and I tended chickens and milked cows, in addition to working with Ma in her vast garden. Ma was a great cook, but in that day, having five sons didnt get you much help in the kitchen... I assisted Ma whenever I could, learning her traditional German recipes that I would cook for all my life.
I was baptized and confirmed (in German) at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Long Lake, SD. When my brothers and I werent working on the farm, we attended a small country school where we spent many a cold night stranded during snow storms. My oldest brother, Howard, even became my third-grade teacher! But it wasnt all hard work and no playI loved to train and break horses. Dont believe me? I have the scar on my head to prove it! We rode a horse named Buck to schoolusually three of usat the same time! Pretty sure we had a better time than Buck did. Despite that Pa never approved, we had a great time riding the heifers and steers in the coral. And despite that Ma never approved we often let our little pony, Tony, follow us into the kitchen. We had great fun, but things werent always easy.
After the 8th grade, my parents asked me to stay back from school to help on the farm. Two years later, Ma and Pa sold it because there were no crops. We moved to Aberdeen, and it was hard to return to school. I was now two years behind the others my age. I was certainly active in high school. I played football and ran track. I was the teams co-captain my junior year and also worked at the Equity Union Creamery. I met a beautiful young lady named Mabel Knittel through church. I graduated from Aberdeen Central High School in the spring of 1954, and married Mabel on June 13. We had love, if not much else.
Pa, who didnt have much either, took a great leap of faith in co-signing a loan so I could purchase a Standard Oil service station. Mabel and I lived above the station with its cardboard walls and plank wood floors for three years. We worked long, hard hours and the business succeeded. Over the next several years, I invested in the SoDak Sign Company in Aberdeen, and Mabel and I moved to Denver to operate a Standard station that happened to be near her folks.
In the Fall of 1963, we settled in Pierre, SD. Within five years, we had three Standard stations in the area. All in all, I was with Standard Oil for a total of fifteen years before starting Kusler Central Distributing in 1970. I operated the distributorship until 1977, when I became Executive Director for the South Dakota Beer Wholesalers. I lobbied at the Capitol, did the office work, and ran their conventions. I retired from that position after twenty-one years but kept busy with some real estate investments such as the Fawn Motel and the Hinkley Building after that. And working hard alongside me throughout it all was Mabel. I couldn't have done it without her!
With our free time, Mabel and I enjoyed traveling around the world. Our most meaningful trip was to the areas of Ukraine, Crimea and Moldova. There, we saw first-hand the poverty and destruction of the villages where our German ancestors had lived for over one hundred years. It was heart wrenching but gave me an even deeper appreciation for the Lutheran faith that was so important to me throughout my life. For all my time in Pierre, I was a devoted member of Lutheran Memorial Church, where I held various offices, including president of the congregation. I also took great pride in my community, serving in numerous organizations: Jaycees, Chamber of Commerce, the Exchange Service Club, PEDCO, Ballroom Swishers Dance Club and Germans from Russia. I was a volunteer fireman for eleven years and served on the City Board of Adjustments.
Throughout our sixty-five plus years of marriage, Mabel and I were blessed with five children - three daughters and two sons: Vicky (Mike) Dix, Sioux Falls, SD and their children: Amy (Ryan) Erickson with great-grandchildren Hunter and Mikaela, Aberdeen, SD; Lisa Dix, Sioux Falls, SD and Jeff (Ericka) Dix, Burbank, CA, Wane Kusler, Kevin Kusler, Sharon (Troy) Bren, Arvada, CO and their children: Jordan (Phil) Severinson with great grandchildren Luke and Everett, Mountain Grove, MO and Chad with great-grandson Easton, Arvada, CO Julie (Brad) Samuelson, Pierre, SD and sons: Shane Skaggs, Aberdeen, SD; and Ryon Skaggs, Bismarck, ND . Mabel and I faced unimaginable sorrow in losing our two sons, Wane in 1981; and Kevin in 2019. I am thankful for the time we had together and look forward to our heavenly reunion. My life has been abundantly blessed.
Epilogue: Dad displayed tremendous courage after suffering a severe brain aneurysm 4 years ago. Dad passed away on April 8, 2020, at Mary House in Pierre with his soulmate, our mother, by his side. Dad was 86. Our family will be forever inspired by Dad's unwavering faith, dedication to our mother, commitment to our family, determination in the face of adversity, and hard work ethics in providing for us. Dad is survived by our mother, Mabel (Knittel) Kusler, we three daughters and our husbands, his seven beloved grandchildren and five great grandchildren. Dad is also survived by his brother, Ernie (Joey) Kusler; sister-in-law, Lorraine Kusler; brother and sister-in-law, Mar and Rosie Knittel, and a host of nieces, nephews and extended family members. Dad was preceded in death by his two sons, parents, three brothers, two nephews, and one niece.