Prairie View Healthcare Community August Resident of the Month is Delbert Pearson.
Farming is the heritage that runs deeply in the life of Delbert Pearson. He was fortunate to live and work the land that was homesteaded by his grandparents in the mid-1880s. Except for two years of military service, Delbert resided his entire life in Section 29, Floyd Township, Sanborn County, about 10 miles northeast of Forestburg.
Currently, Delbert, 86, makes his home at Prairie View in Woonsocket. The fifth and sixth generation of his family, grandson Jacob Klaas and family, now reside on the family homestead. The homestead was settled in the mid-1880s by Delbert’s grandparents, Ursula and Fred Mauer (his mother’s parents). Both had emigrated to the United States, Fred from Sweden and Ursula from Switzerland. They had married in Iowa and then became Dakota pioneers.
Mauers’ daughter, Ella, married Bert Pearson, who had emigrated from Sweden like Ella’s father, and they continued farming the family homestead. Delbert was the youngest of four children born to the Pearsons on Nov. 29, 1929. His siblings are Carl Pearson, Eunice Olson and the late Ellen Alt. When Delbert was nine years old, his father, Bert, passed away. The family worked together and continued farming. Ella lived to be 97 years old.
Delbert met his future wife, Anna Berens, on a blind date set up by Lester Wormstadt. They probably went roller-skating, he said, as it was a favorite pastime of both.  Anna was from Selby and had moved to Mitchell for an office job. Anna and Delbert married in 1960 and continued farming and living in Section 29. On their farm, they raised hogs, cattle and crops. They were blessed with four children: Susan, Robert, Karen and Brenda. Delbert and Anna enjoyed traveling across the United States. Some of the places they visited were Yellowstone National Park, Niagara Falls, Washington, D.C. and Texas.
Family is important to Delbert, and he is very grateful for his. The greatest joy of his life are his children, eight grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
When asked the reason for his long, successful life, Delbert, a cancer survivor, said, “I don’t drink, dance, smoke or go to church, but associate with people that do.”
For hobbies, he enjoys fishing on the Jim River and hunting. A United States Army veteran, Delbert is a member of American Legion Post #29 in Woonsocket. While stationed in Germany, he got the opportunity to visit his relatives in Switzerland and Sweden.
A special memory is the 1931 Model A Ford that he bought in Mitchell for $100. The car has been fully restored and is still in the family.
When asked what he likes best about South Dakota, Delbert remarked that he loves the peace and quiet. Also, he enjoys living at Prairie View because, “They treat me pretty good.”