Neighbors helping a neighbor

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CAVOUR — Earlier this month, one of those quietly caring acts which largely go unnoticed and unmentioned took place in Sanborn County, to help a Beadle County family struck by tragedy.
“I was driving home from school on Dec. 3,” said Shania Cornelius, a sophomore at Sanborn Central School, “and I noticed that the roads to the fields around our house had all been plowed out.” Shania’s mother Jeanette rents the land out to Don Miner and Benjamin Miner of Cavour, who put up hay on the property.
“On Thanksgiving night, of course, Benjamin Miner lost his life in an auto accident south of Cavour” Shania shared. “He was a much-loved son, husband and father who lived on his family farm near Cavour.
Just like much of eastern South Dakota, the producers of the James River Valley are behind on farm work, due to the wet weather throughout the summer. “But when I looked,” Shania said, “all of the bales that were stacked in the field since the last cutting were gone. This was no small feat, as there appeared to be hundreds in the fields.”
It turned out that bright and early that morning, friends and neighbors of the Miner families banded together to help move the hay crop. Shania Cornelius said that around 30 people showed up with loaders, pickups and semi trailers.

There was an icy ten-mile stretch for them to travel upon, so they all made one trip before returning to the field to make sure they didn’t meet anyone. After the first trip, a small lunch was furnished by Cade
Tschetter and Gary Nelson, but after lunch the group was back at it. It only took them two trips to get all the bales back to the Miner’s farm.
When they were all done, there was nearly 600 bales that they hauled.
When asked why they did it, the answer was very simple: “If it would have been any of us, Ben would have been there to do anything he could to help.”
“At the end of the day,” Shania said, “this is a great example of the kindheartedness of our community.”
 A special thank you goes out to these people: John Derkson, Cade Tschetter, Tom Kretchmer, Steve Hein, Steve Stevens, Nate Stevens, Nick Schofelder, Doug Bich, Lynn and Ken Dickson, Chris Mattke and Jared Mattke (the Mattke brothers), Jason Vincent, Mike Staley, Doug Staley, Dennis Kerney, Josh Kogel, Rick Hein, Brad Schnable, Wade Kaiser, Jim Tschetter, Kurt Dickson, Mike Keating, Keith Bich as well as the silent supporters and behind-the-scenes organizers.
An education fund for Benjamin Miner’s four young daughters has been established at American Bank and Trust in Huron.