Myron Williams, age 76, of Wall, South Dakota, died on Monday, June 24, 2024 at Monument Health Hospital in Rapid City.
Visitation will be held 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, June 26, 2024 at Rush Funeral Chapel in Wall.
Funeral Services will be held 2:00 p.m. Thursday, June 27, at the Community Center in Wall.
Burial will follow at the Wall Cemetery.
Myron J. Williams was born January 7, 1948, to Lyle and Viola (Hamm) Williams. He grew up, with his siblings Marvin and Lainee, near Owanka and graduated from Wall High School in 1966. He attended South Dakota State University where he met his future wife, Mary Healy.
Myron and Mary were united in marriage on August 23, 1969, in Chamberlain. The song Myron especially chose for their wedding was “I Love You Because”. After graduating SDSU, they began ranching near Farmingdale, before leasing and then buying the Bob and Herma Marsden place in the Cheyenne River breaks. They had a cow / calf operation, backgrounded cattle, ran yearlings, and farmed wheat and alfalfa. Myron was also a livestock order buyer for over 40 years.
He was very proud of his kids, having raised them on the ranch and instilled in them the qualities he valued, which included hard work, honesty and integrity. He was proud to have both sons and their families a part of the ranch operation after they too graduated from college. But his greatest joy was watching his grandchildren grow to love agriculture too.
He had a deep passion for his family, the Wall community and the beef industry which led him to become involved in and lead many organizations. He was a proud member of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, in which he chaired many committees, including the Live Cattle Marketing Committee, the Budget & Finance Committee, the Governance Task Force and was on the Federation Division Operating Committee for almost 6 years. Myron became the Chairman of the Federation Division of Beef Councils from 2004-05 and was appointed to Cattlemen’s Beef Board in 2007. He proudly served on NCBA’s Executive Committee from 2000-2002, was a National Livestock and Meat Board Director from 1994-96 and a US Meat Export Federation Director for 5 years. He also served as the President of the Association of National Grasslands from 2011-13.
His roles at the state level were very important to him as well, where he served on the SD Brand Board, the SD Ag Rural Leadership Advisory Board, and was an SDSU Foundation Trustee from 2006 until 2024, including being on the Board of Governors from 2008-14. He served as the Federal Lands Committee Chair for the South Dakota Cattlemen’s, and as a Director for the SD Beef Industry Council for 20 years representing the SD Farm Bureau.
Myron served as a SD High School rodeo director for six years, was the SD 4-H Rodeo president for two years, served on the Wall School Board for six years, a Central States Fair Director for three years and a member of the St. Patrick’s Church Council.
His efforts were recognized in many distinguished ways, including the National Cattlemen’s Foundation Vision Award Winner (2007), Black Hills Stock Show Stockman of the Year (2008), SDSU Eminent Farmer (2007), SDSU Friend of the Beef Industry Award (2005), South Dakota Cattleman of the Year (2004) and South Dakota HS Rodeo Persons of the Year (1999).
Grateful for having shared his life is his wife Mary; two sons Marty and his wife Rhonda of Wall, Monty and his wife Bobbi of Box Elder and one daughter Misty Mattox and her husband Jeff of Kearney, NE; eight grandchildren, Jaicee Fite (Tanner) of Hermosa and Stran of Wall, Pacey, Ridlee, Pine and Lincoln of Box Elder and Haydon and Brynley Mattox of Kearney, NE; three step grandchildren, Madison, Laketon, Cooper McLaughlin and one great granddaughter, Georgia Calderon. Several nieces and nephews and a host of other relatives and friends.
Myron was preceded in death by maternal and paternal grandparents, parents, a granddaughter Makayla Mattox and daughter-in-law Stephanie Williams.
The family request memorials be directed to the family to later be distributed to the Wall Rodeo Boosters, SD Cattlemen’s Foundation and SDSU Indoor Rodeo Arena Complex fund.
Arrangements are with Rush Funeral Home of Wall.
