Beryl (Colburn) Younger was born March 11, 1912, at Madison, South Dakota, to John H. and Laura T. (Rohm) Colburn. She died Monday, January 6, 2003, at the Brookings Hospital in Brookings, South Dakota. At age one Beryl moved with her parents to a homestead at Bascom, Montana, returning to Madison in 1917. In 1922 the family moved to Appleton, Wisconsin, and returned to Madison in 1928. Beryl graduated from Madison High School in 1929. In 1933 she graduated from Eastern Normal (now Dakota State University). She was a member of Kappa Sigma Iota and the Trojan annual staff. She taught in rural schools in Lake County and in McIntosh, South Dakota. On June 26, 1938, she married John F. Younger in Madison. In 1940 they moved to Brookings, in 1943 to Beresford, and returned to Brookings in 1945, where John was in the Extension Service 4-H Department at South Dakota State University. Beryl served as a substitute teacher in Brookings and in area rural schools. John died January 20, 1991. Beryl was an active member of the Brookings Community. She was a charter member of the Brookings Fine Arts Club, Toastmistress Club, and Lioness Club, and was instrumental in organizing the South Dakota Art Center Guild, where she received a docent award for 23 years of service. For 57 years she was very active in Extension Homemakers (now FCE), P.T.A., Cub Scouts, Brownie Scouts, and as a 4-H leader. She was active in the cultural arts, receiving a national award. She presented research papers at the Dakota History Conference at the Karl Mundt Library at Dakota State, and at the Center for Western Studies at Augustana. She was honored for her outstanding historic research for South Dakota in 1995. She received Dakota States Outstanding Alumnus Award, AARP RTA Volunteer Award, and Woman of the Year Award from Young Men and Women. For ten years she was the Brookings County Easter Seal Chairwoman. She was a member of the Faculty Womens Club, book and antique clubs, Brookings Area Genealogical Society, NARFE, Retired Teachers Association, Friends of the Library, and South Dakota Historical Society. She was an artist in watercolor and oil painting. Other hobbies included knitting, crocheting, quilting, sewing, writing, reading, doing historical research, and traveling in the United States and the world. Beryl published three books: a poetry book, Dipping My Wings; a humorous book, The Wit and Wisdom of John Younger; and at age 89, after 14 years of research, a historical autobiography tracing four families histories, A Teaspoon of Brown Sugar. Survivors include a son, Kent Younger, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota; a daughter, Shari Younger and her husband, Elmer Gosh, of Mercer, Wisconsin; four grandchildren: Lynne, Kristin, and Megan Younger, and Carson Amiot; two great-grandchildren, Skytanna and Matilda Younger; a sister, Zora Colburn, of Brookings; a brother, Duane Colburn and his wife, Eunice, of Hendricks, Minnesota; and nieces and nephews. Beryl will be greatly missed by the many people who shared a piece of her wonderful life.