After serving 24 years in the superintendent’s office and at the Huron Arena, Ginny LaFortune is stepping down.

She will officially retire as the administrative assistant to the athletic director and Huron Arena manager June 18.

She will be replaced by Collette Johnson who has been working in the senior high office.

In her position, she has done all the correspondence for activities director Terry Rotert and before him, Mark Wendelgass.

She handles all short-term leave assignments and handles correspondences for Ken Mees, building and grounds supervisor.

LaFortune orders the custodial supplies for the high school and the athletic needs.

She prepares the master schedule and writes up purchase orders.

She schedules all of the workers for the athletic events at the arena.

A native of Ree Heights, she graduated from Highmore High School in 1965. She worked for the state Highway Department in Pierre before getting married in 1966.

After the wedding they moved to Wisconsin, where her husband was serving in the military.

After his discharge, they returned to Wessington where he started to work for Beadle Electric. He transferred to Huron in 1969 and remained there until he retired in 2000.

They have two children, Michelle (Jim) Vissia of Plankinton and Matt (Amy) LaFortune of Huron.

She has eight grandchildren. They are Nash and Seth Eichhold and Cordel and Chasity Vissia, along with Samantha, Stephen, Shane and Spencer LaFortune.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR FAMILY TREE: She is the daughter of Edward and Lillian Schock and was born in Miller. She has four sisters, Char (Butch) Evans, Miller; Pat (Marvin) Hasart, Ree Heights; Mildred (Allen) Binnebose of Hinton, Iowa; and Nancy (Jerry) Peterson of Mankato, Minn.; and a brother, Dennis, deceased.

Her father is deceased and her mother lives in Ree Heights.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT YOUR JOB? “I love my job,” she said. “It’s going to be hard to leave.”

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT LIVING IN HURON? “I think it’s a wonderful place to raise your kids,” she said. “There are many friendly people.”

When asked what three people who are longer living she would like to invite to dinner, her first choice was her father, Edward. “I would like him to see all of his grandchildren and what they have done with their lives,” she said.

Her second choice was her grandmother, Katherine Pietz. “She was such a wonderful woman and I would like her to see all the grandchildren,” she said.

Her final choice was her mother-in-law, Katie LaFortune. “She was the most important person I have ever met,” she said.

Her hobbies are knitting, fishing and camping. She likes to spend time at their cabin at Whitlock Bay near Gettysburg.

In five years she hopes to still be enjoying retirement and doing a lot of fishing.

As for community activities, she belongs to a card club.

For the complete article see the 05-30-2009 issue.

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