Meet our February Inductees of the Week!
Every week we feature an Inductee of the week at the South Dakota Hall of Fame. These inductees are as unique as the State of South Dakota itself, and they have made lasting impacts by chasing their dreams. Here are some of the Inductees featured in the month of February.
Leon Wrage
Leon J. Wrage was raised on the family farm near Canistota, SD where he was very active in 4-H and FFA. Because of his love for agriculture, Leon enrolled at SDSU where he earned a B.S. degree in Agriculture Education and M.S. degree in Agronomy. After five years in Wisconsin Leon accepted the SDSU Extension Agronomist-Weeds position. He remained in this position until his retirement in 2004. During this time Leon developed a very extensive Extension weed program at SDSU recognized not only on a state level but regionally and nationally. One aspect of the weed program that remains today was the establishment of the SDSU Extension project. Through this program Leon worked very closely with farmers, applicators, and industry representatives researching, educating, and solving current weed management problems. He also introduced agronomic advances. Leon was a very popular panel member of the live SDSU Extension call-in show on SD Public TV’s “Garden Line”. Learn more about Leon on his legacy page here.
Robert Van Demark
Dr. Robert Van Demark Sr. graduated from Alexandria High School in 1932. He went on to attend Sioux Falls College and the University of South Dakota School of Medicine. He received his M.D. from Northwestern University and interned at Passavant Memorial Hospital. He received the Master of Science degree in orthopedic surgery from the University of Minnesota in 1943. During WWII, Dr. Robert Van Demark served in the U.S. Army Medical Corps as an orthopedic surgeon. He returned in 1946 to join his uncle, Dr. Guy Van Demark, in practice in Sioux Falls. Guy helped to start the Crippled Children’s Hospital & School, now called the Children’s Care Hospital and School. Dr. Van Demark was a compassionate doctor who cared for children with disabilities, a pioneer in hand surgery, and always a physician hungry for the latest in medical knowledge. To learn more about Robert Van Demark, visit his legacy page here:
Tony Bour
Nicknamed “Young Tony” was born on Friday the 13th, August 1937, in St. Paul, Minnesota. Tony’s dad was a Lieutenant Colonel in the Airforce, a World War II Bomber Pilot, an Aircraft Mechanic, and after the war an Industrial Arts School Teacher. Tony’s grandfather was a cabinet maker. Young Tony inherited his love of building things from his father and grandfather. In 1966, Tony decided to make a career-changing move from aircraft manufacturing to cabinet manufacturing, and for over 50 decades he has worked for four different cabinet manufacturing companies, three of which he started by building new plants and hiring and training new employees. Today Tony’s company, Showplace, has over 600 employees, in three manufacturing facilities, with over 300,000 square feet of plant space in South Dakota. Since 1999 the company has manufactured over 2.5 million cabinets in South Dakota. Showplace has five company-owned stores and over 700 independent dealers throughout the United States. To learn more about Tony, visit his Legacy Page here.
Carl Fisher
The Fischer Brothers store in Fort Pierre, SD, was and still, can be remembered by many as a household word throughout the state. 1983 Inductee, Carl Fischer, son of Frank Fischer, carried on the family tradition of involvement in the business, community, and the state. After the death of his father, Carl acted as president of the company until it was sold in 1967, a position he held from 1931. Carl was elected and served in the South Dakota State Senate for two terms, from 1967 to 1971. He also served as a member of the Fort Pierre City Council for over 24 years, on the Fort Pierre School Board for two years, and as acting mayor on the death of Mayor Sutley. Carl Fischer contributed to the development of the state of South Dakota through his work at the Fischer Brothers Store. He supplied the farmers, ranchers, and settlers with goods needed to prosper and conquer the frontier of South Dakota. To learn more about Carl, you can visit his Legacy Page here.