Ralph Duxbury

Ralph Duxbury, 90, died Sunday, February 11, 2018 at Pioneer Memorial Nursing Home in Viborg. Funeral Services will be at 1:30 Pm Saturday February 17, 2018 at Harmony Presbyterian Church in Hurley with burial at the Hurley Cemetery. Visitation will be from 5:00-7:00 PM Friday, February 16, 2018 at the church with a prayer service starting at 7:00 PM. Ralph E. Duxbury was “all in” when it came to his life-long passions for his family, Berkshire hogs, barbershop singing, grassroots politics and civic engagement. Ralph was born to Elwood and Bessie (Powers) Duxbury on the Duxbury family farm near Canova, S.D., on December 8, 1927. He was active in 4-H in both Miner and Turner Counties. He discovered a life-long passion when he purchased his first Berkshire sow in 1941, and his devotion to the Berkshire hog breed was one of his life’s legacies. As the tag-along little brother, Ralph attended Canova school with his three older brothers and one sister before his family moved to Hurley in 1943. Ralph graduated from Hurley High School in 1945. He was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1951 and was assigned to the Korean-based headquarters battery of the 16th Signal Battalion near the front lines during the Korean War. Upon his return home Ralph re-joined his father, Elwood, on the family farming operation near Hurley raising hogs, Polled Hereford Cattle and Hampshire and Suffolk sheep. He met his future wife, Turner County Extension Home Economist Lois Fulton, in the open class swine barn at the South Dakota State Fair. The two were married on July 7, 1963. Lois signed on to attend a variety of state and national hog shows, Tri-Valley Barbershop Chorus performances, and political events while supporting her husband’s interests. The couple raised two daughters (and state pork industry queens), Lora and Renae. Throughout his life, Ralph was a member, officer, director or participant on 18 local, state and national boards. Ralph was a charter member of both the South Dakota Purebred Swine Improvement Association and South Dakota Pork Producers Council and served on the national Berkshire Association board. He was the chairman of the South Dakota Purebred Swine Improvement Association when the group succeeded in building a new open class swine barn at the South Dakota State Fair. Ralph served his community as a member of the South Dakota Animal Industry Board, Hurley School Board, Hurley Township Board, Turner County Planning and Zoning Board, was Turner County Weed and Pest Supervisor and a Vermillion Valley Water Development District Director. Ralph was a charter member of the Tri-Valley Chorus and sang at many community weddings and funerals. He was a member of the Hurley American Legion and played Taps on his trumpet for Memorial Day and local funerals. Following his retirement from fulltime farming, Ralph turned his energies to a variety of water quality and conservation causes, and became active in Dakota Rural Action. Ralph is survived by his wife, Lois, daughters Lora (Dan) Berg, Brookings, S.D., Renae (Jason) Werner, Eagle River, A.K., grandsons Ethan and Evan Berg and Braeden and Rylan Werner, sister-in-law Merleen Duxbury, Canova, and many treasured nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Elwood and Bessie Duxbury, brothers Russell, Clyde, and Max Duxbury, and sister Edith Osterberg.