WALL, S.D. – The Mary and late Myron Williams family, of Wall, received the South Dakota FFA Foundation’s 2025 “Family of the Year” award. The award honoring the family’s active involvement in the South Dakota FFA/Agriculture Education program was presented during the State FFA Convention in Brookings, S.D.
The Williams family includes Mary and the late Myron Williams, their children and spouses, and grandchildren: Marty and Rhonda (Jaicee, Stran, Cooper Jo, Laketon and Madison), Monty and Bobbie (Pacey, Lincoln, Pine and Ridlee), and Misty (Williams) and Jeff Mattox (Haydon and Brynley).
Mary and the late Myron Williams were actively involved with the FFA for over fifty years and all three of their children, Marty, Monty and Misty, were officers at the local and district level. Their daughter Misty also served as the 1994-95 South Dakota State FFA Secretary. The family is now three generations strong in the FFA organization.
Myron attended Wall High School but since an FFA program had yet to be established he was unable to be a member. He later attended South Dakota State University and graduated with a degree in animal science business.
During the time Mary grew up, women had not yet actively been participating in FFA, but her brother served as a state officer from 1968-69 and her father was awarded an honorary state degree.
“I recognized what an important program FFA was and is and when my children went to school in Wall…they fortunately had an ag program in place,” Mary said. “[We were] supportive of every activity and helped get kids to different contests.”
Mary has served as a judge at the local, regional, and state level for CDE contests whenever needed and serves as a member of the Elevate Rapid City Ag Committee. Her husband Myron was also a strong leader in multiple organizations including his work as Pennington Farm Bureau director and agriculture advocate with travels taking him as far as Washington, D.C. to spread the message. Together the couple was actively involved in South Dakota Farm Bureau (SDFB) and the South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association (SDCA).
“He walked the talk,” Mary said.
In 1992 and 1994 Myron and Mary respectively were awarded the honorary chapter FFA degree in Wall. Three years later they were given the honorary state FFA degree together in recognition for their continued support of statewide FFA while their daughter was a state FFA officer.
Dani Herring previously served as the Wall FFA advisor and nominated the family for state level recognition. “The entire time I taught in Wall as the Ag teacher, Myron and Mary were huge supporters of the program.” Herring said. “They donate[d] their time and money to making FFA a successful organization not only here, but in the whole of District 5.”
Their children, Marty, Monty and Misty, all received State FFA Degrees as high school seniors in ‘92, ‘94, and ‘96. Monty and Marty’s supervised agricultural experiences are still in operation today as they are the current owners of Williams Ranch.
Misty became active in Nebraska as an FFA supporter while working for Prime Pursuit which focuses on supplying Walmart with consistently choice beef.
“Bottom line, they all stayed in agriculture,” Mary said. “That was definitely a goal my husband and I had forever. If they wanted to come back to agriculture, we would work with leadership programs for young people that we could bring them back to agriculture.”
In addition to FFA, they both worked with leadership programs for young people such as 4-H and South Dakota Ag and Rural Leadership to build agriculture advocates.
Even their spouses have been involved with FFA, Monty’s wife Bobbi (Amdahl) was a member of the Woonsocket FFA chapter and received her State Degree and was the Star Greenhand of her chapter. Marty’s wife Rhonda (McDonnell) was a member and officer in Wall and was active while in high school.
These families started a third generation of FFA members including Marty and Rhonda’s children Laketon, Cooper, Jaicee, (former Wall FFA members), and Madison (teacher at Wall and FFA supporter).
Grandchildren Jaicee and Cooper were active in the Wall FFA and represented South Dakota at the National FFA Convention in the Ag Issues CDE in 2017. Currently, grandson Haydon and granddaughter Brnley are beginning their FFA journey in Nebraska as a freshman and eighth grader.
“This family deserves to be FFA Family of the Year, they are passionate advocates of my program in Wall and help wherever they are needed.” Herring said. “They promote agriculture in every way and will continue to do so in the future
