As we reflect on the women who raised us this Mother’s Day, South Dakota Farmers Union celebrates the many women who support the state’s No. 1 industry – farm and ranch moms!
Read on to learn about Brenda Reis from Reliance and Lindsey Hinsvark from Gary.
Brenda Reis, ranches with her husband, David near Reliance. She is mom to Shawn, April, Shane and Zane and grandma to Buster, Swade, Rope, Haleigh, Keeleigh, Wiley, Oakleigh, Arista, Collin, Jozie, Sawyer and Jasper.
In addition to Mom and Grandma, “Keeper of the Photos” is the other title Brenda Reis treasurers.
“I’ve been taking photos since our kids were little,” Brenda said. “But when our kids were little, I didn’t have the cool camera that I have now. And now with digital cameras and our phones, today, everyone takes so many photos, but nobody ever looks at them – so every year for Christmas for the grandkids, I make a photo book of things we did together. I have 12 grandkids so it’s quite a job now. But they love their books. The oldest is 25 and still wants a photo book every Christmas.”
Inside the photo books she spends months creating, there are pictures of brandings, rodeos, swimming and fishing in the White River, working cattle, riding horse, fixing fence, showing meat goats and cattle at the State Fair, camping trips, advocating for ag in Washington D.C. and many more adventures and activities that she and David, her husband of 50 years, enjoy together with their children and grandchildren.
Whether working together or enjoying a fun activity together, the philosophy Brenda and David adopted as young parents and today as grandparents is, “spend time with your kids.”
“When our kids were growing up, they went everywhere with us. If we were outside working cattle, they were outside with us. If we were fencing or feeding bottle calves, they were right there with us,” said Brenda of all the day-to-day activities it takes to operate the family’s multi-generational cow/calf operation near Reliance. “And these were the days before side by sides, so the kids rode on the horse with me or David until they were big enough to ride their own horse.”
Working beside their parents, the Reis kids learned how to do what their parents did. “They knew everything about the pastures and the cattle because they grew up doing the work with us and we always had the help we needed,” Brenda said. “They all have a good work ethic and understand responsibility and working cattle comes natural to them.”
Like her children and now grandchildren, Brenda grew up working on her family’s ranch near Fort Thompson. Her dad raised racehorses and Reis loved helping care for the horses and competing in rodeos.
Spend time with your kids
After the work was done for the day on the Reis Ranch, Brenda and David would ask their kids what they wanted to do for fun. “Sometimes we’d play baseball, or we’d go to the River and swim or fish. I love the River. I take the grandkids there whenever I can,” said Brenda, of the White River located just half a mile from the ranch house and the Missouri River which is only 6 miles away.
Today, all four of their grown children live within 15 miles of the ranch and return to help on the ranch frequently with their own families.
Even though their children all attended college, Brenda said she and David did not place priority on going to college after high school, but they did encourage their kids to do something away from the ranch after high school. “We wanted them to broaden their horizons,” she said.
To help their grandchildren do the same, Brenda and David gave a heifer calf to each when they turned 5. They then get to save the earnings from the sale of calves for college or whatever life adventures they seek after high school.
To make it easy to identify each grandchild’s calf and its offspring have a unique color ear tag. “It’s our way of helping them get started,” Brenda said. “And they enjoy working all cattle, but it is fun to look for their cattle.”
Lindsey Hinsvark is mom to Georgia, Swede and Hank. She and her husband, Lance, live on his family’s ranch near Gary.
When it comes to raising their three young children; Georgia, 4, Swede, 2 and Hank, 3 weeks, Lindsey Hinsvark works to keep things simple and find joy in the moment.
“The other day when it was 80 degrees, we got pizza from town, laid out a blanket on the lawn and had a picnic for supper. That was a week ago and the kids are still talking about it like it was the most amazing activity,” Lindsey said. “We love being together and being outside. Lance and I are the type of parents who want to raise our kids like we were raised in the 90s – no screen time. Don’t get me wrong, they do watch TV sometimes, but we try to limit it. So, our kids spend a lot of time outside.”
And there is plenty of room for their children to roam outdoors on their family ranch near Gary, where they raise crops and cattle.
In addition to working on the ranch, Lindsey and Lance both have off-ranch careers. Lindsey owns her own hair salon, The Beauty Barn, and Lance works as an agronomist. Because she owns her own business, Lindsey works to keep her work hours family friendly. And when she is home, she tries to leave her phone on the charger.
“I’m blessed to be able to schedule my work during the week. I don’t work nights and weekends,” she said, explaining that her employee also has a family, so they both schedule appointments that work with their kids’ schedules. “I heard once that you only have small children for a short time, so in this era of my life, I’m focusing on them and doing the things they are interested in. I figure when they are older and don’t want to hang out with me, that is the time when I can work my butt off in the salon.”
Right now, with newborn Hank, the entire family is spending a lot of time giving baby extra love. “Swede keeps coming in and giving him kisses and Georgia just loves holding him,” Lindsey said.
Lindsey’s mom, Anna Jennings, is also spending extra time with the family. “My mom just retired so she calls each week and asks what day she can come and help. My mom is a great mom and grandma. I really look up to her,” said Lindsey, adding that her own childhood – growing up with three siblings in a happy household – is the reason she wanted a family of her own.
She and Lance met when they were both students at Lake Area Technical College. He was studying to be an agronomist and she was studying cosmetology.
“I knew since I was 5 that I wanted to become a stylist,” Lindsey said. “I love my clients. I love making them feel beautiful. And I have been cutting their hair for long enough now that many I consider my close friends.”
Lance’s mom, Birdie, is also a cosmetologist. Shortly after the couple married, she was looking to retire and Lindsey took over her Clear Lake business in 2017. In need of more room, Lindsey purchased a building in 2020. Today, the larger space allows Lindsey to employ a second stylist and offer tanning and sauna services.
“In a small community like Clear Lake, there are not many businesses, so I know that each business in town matters,” Lindsey said.
Growing up in town, Watertown, Lindsey loved her childhood but appreciates that her children get to be raised on the ranch. “It is so nice that they get to play outdoors and help care for the calves and chickens and play with their cousins or ride in the tractor with dad.”
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