Vermillion family honored as Family of the Year
The Francis “Bud” and Doris Heine family of Vermillion was honored Saturday, Feb. 13, as the South Dakota State University Family of the Year for 2010. Eight of their 10 children, as well as four future in-laws, have attended SDSU, and two grandsons are current engineering students. In addition, the family has been long-time supporters of the Agricultural Heritage Museum, the South Dakota 4-H Foundation and the College of Agriculture and Biological Sciences.
“I really do feel a strong connection to SDSU because of the children. We’ve watched it grow,” Doris Heine said.
The Francis “Bud” and Doris Heine family of Vermillion was named the SDSU Family of the Year for 2010. Eight of the couple’s 10 children and 21 of their 22 grandchildren came to campus on Feb. 13 to celebrate.
The Heines have been watching State grow since son Tim came to campus after graduating from Vermillion High School in 1983. “Administration and faculty provide the vision and leadership,” Heine said of how SDSU has evolved in the past quarter-century. “It continues to progress with new areas of study, construction and athletics. We’re so impressed with how generous the alums are with their time, their money, their interest. It shows how they appreciate their education.”
Heine’s appreciation for her children’s education is just as great any alumni’s. “We’re just grateful that the children got such good education. It’s such a strong school in agriculture and science,” Heine said, noting that the family alums include an ag journalist, a physician’s assistant, an optometrist, an electrical engineering technologist and a nurse, as well as keeping the animal science, agronomy and mechanical engineering technology majors at home to help run the farm and Heine Hybrid Seedcorn Co.
“Our children also were involved in University activities such as meat and crop judging teams, Microbiology Club, University 4-H, Little International and Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity,” Heine said.
Common Family Experience
Family members who have attended State include Tim and wife Julie; Todd; Robyn; Mark and wife Marci; Gretchen and husband Patrick O’Reilly; Nick and wife Jamie; Joel and Nancy.
“With that many children we knew public education had to be the route, but we were convinced they could do whatever they wanted with that education,” Heine said.
There were 39 Heineson hand for the Feb. 13 observance, which is coordinated by the SDSU Alumni Association and Staters for State, the student Alumni organization. Doris Heine said eight of their 10 children were in Brookings. The two who live in Houston were unable to attend. In addition, 21 of their 22 grandchildren were on hand. Activities included a luncheon, an awards ceremony and recognition during halftime of the women’s basketball game.
Staters for State selects the Family of the Year based on dedication, loyalty, support and contributions to SDSU, members of family who attended SDSU, and involvement as students and alumni.