Brookings: Nov. 5, 1914 - March 5, 2024

Boyd Shank

Posted 3/5/24

Boyd Shank of Brookings, age 109, passed away on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, at home. Funeral services will be 3 p.m. on Friday, March 8, 2024, at First Lutheran Church in Brookings with burial to follow …

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Brookings: Nov. 5, 1914 - March 5, 2024

Boyd Shank

Posted

Boyd Shank of Brookings, age 109, passed away on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, at home.
Funeral services will be 3 p.m. on Friday, March 8, 2024, at First Lutheran Church in Brookings with burial to follow at First Lutheran Cemetery. Visitations will be from 5-6 p.m. on Thursday, March 7 at Eidsness Funeral Home in Brookings.
D. Boyd Shank was born on Nov. 5, 1914, to J. Dee and Effie (Gossard) Shank in Jewell County, Kansas. Boyd grew up on a north central Kansas farm and attended country grade school. He graduated from Superior, NE, High School in 1931. After high school, Boyd received his Bachelor of Science degree in Agronomy from the University of Nebraska in 1935. He then went on to receive his Ph.D. in Genetics from Iowa State University in 1941.
Throughout Boyd’s life he worked as a cotton breeder and Assistant Associate Professor at the University of Arkansas from 1941-1946, and a corn breeder, Associate Professor and Professor at South Dakota State University from 1946-1980. He retired as Professor Emeritus in 1980. During his time at SDSU, Boyd developed several lines of hybrid corn. Boyd was honored to author several publications as well as act as an advisor to several agricultural students at SDSU.
Boyd was a member of the Brookings Golden Kiwanis, Farmhouse Fraternity, the American Society of Agronomy, Alpha Zeta honorary Agriculture Fraternity, the Crop Science Society of America, Gamma Sigma Delta, and Sigma Xi Fraternities. He also served on the First Lutheran Church Council, as well as serving as President.
Boyd 0 woodworking, photography, gardening in Sunnyview, fishing and hunting, reading, and genealogy.
Boyd is survived by his children: David Shank Sr. and Timothy Shank both of Washington State; his grandchildren: David Shank Jr., Anthony Shank, Aldan Shank, and Jeremy Shank; and six great-grandchildren.
He is preceded in death by his beloved wife, Clarice Shank and his mother and father.