jobs, citing nursing homes as what you can, when you can. the worst because she “washed For Myva that’s always been clothes. Back with the old time a big deal. “Helping people washing machines. It was hard.” when you can, help at church.” Her favorite job was working for She took care of her mom for Avera Hospital in food service. a while, helping her once she She worked this job for 40 years was in a wheelchair and it was which she cites as one of her hard for her to get around. She greatest accomplishments. also took care of her dad during “Not too many people stay in this time. She took them to the one place for that long. It was doctor and helped around the interesting, you got to know a house, while still working fulllot of people. It was nice. It’s time. It was an important time, the part I miss the most, seeing having been taken care of by all the familiar people.” She them, she felt it was important also dressed up as a clown for to help take care of them. Plus special occasions not as a job she believes helping people and though. A neighbor had a donkey being in contact is the key to so that was a part of the act. happiness. “Happiness is what It wasn’t so much about doing you make it. Have good friends, the clown thing as it was about keep in contact with your family, having fun and bringing joy to have a good place to live, help others. people when you can, and have Myva has experienced some a positive outlook.” She also of the most important historical nursed her husband after his events and when asked which five bypass surgeries. “It was one was the most significant she probably one of the scariest said the Kennedy assassination times. But it’s what you do for the because it’s the one that stands people you love.” out the most. “That was just When asked if there was something you thought would anything she regretted doing, Myva & her husband Lyle never happen. You just always Myva responded with something I remember that one. She remembers she was pregnant won’t forget. “We are always asked if we would go back and with her youngest and was on the way to Yankton to buy change something, but when it comes down to it we will still a TV when the news broke in over the radio. “It was just do the same thing. You can’t change what has been.” something to always remember.” She also said 9/11 would Myva remembers once having given blood and she didn’t be just as significant. “I was at work when the towers fell. eat before so her blood pressure went down. She told her They brought in TVs so we could see what was going on.” mom that she understood how her mom felt, because her Those two were the biggest but Myva said that it’s more mom had problems with blood pressure. She’ll never forget common now than it was for her growing up. “Anymore, what her mom said to her after that, it being a key piece of that’s what it is. Every other day.” advice she likes to live by. “Well, you’ll learn.” It just stuck Myva’s most memorable moment is welcoming her first with her. The other is the final thing Myva told me that day grandkid. “Your kids are special, but then the grandkids when I asked what her favorite piece of advice was. “All and great-grandkids come. And it’s just more special.” you can do is hope for your health and spend some time Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren are the most enjoying your years.” vBy Brandi Bue rewarding to her. Especially during the holidays because Photos by DeAnn McClure Photography their excitement makes the holidays. “They just never know what to do with what they got because they have so much.” Her hobbies are baking bread, making blankets, and the garden. Though the garden is more of her husband’s project than hers, she still helps out. Over the course of her life Myva feels like technology is the best and worst thing to change. “If it wasn’t for a computer I wouldn’t get to see some of the kids and grandkids.” But she says it’s also the worst thing to change because we start to depend on it too much, expect it. Plus “sometimes people know too much about you because of it.” She also notes that because technology there tends to be lack of actual communication face-to-face. We depend on the technology and do it that way instead. Myva wants to be remembered for helping people, doing Save The Date... Celebrate Women 2016 October 15, 2016 HERVOICEvJANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016v11