South Dakota Loses Piece Of Living History

South Dakota has sadly lost one of its treasures. I say this because this person was the state's only link to the 1800's. So much history has transpired in one lifetime.

Beryl Kapaun, our oldest person in South Dakota has passed away at 113.

Beryl was born on June 4, 1899. She was a year older than my grandpa and grandma who were born in 1900. They passed away many years ago. My parents were old enough to be my grandparents. They were World War II era people and they have been gone a long time.

Beryl's life is fascinating to me. She was born in the time of log cabins and horses and buggies. No telephones, radio or TV. Mail must have taken forever to send and receive through the postal service by today's standards. She saw the rise of the United States from an agrarian society to the greatest, most powerful, technologically advanced country in the world! One lifetime where so much happened!

She lived through the Boxer Rebellion, the building of the Panama Canal, the Phillipine-American War, the first World Series, two world wars, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Desert Shield, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The American Civil War and Abraham Lincoln were probably recent history to her because of the relatives that probably passed on their stories.

Beryl was a living link and possibly a living history book back to these times. She lived an incredible life.

With her death, Beryl passes the torch of being the oldest living South Dakotan to Dagmar "Dolly" Keehn, who's 107 and living in Flandreau. Today, the average life expectancy is 82 for women and 77 for men. Below are a few of the major events that Beryl lived to see. Well done Beryl. Well done!