A Journey Of 200 Roses Margaret Hasse, Bessie Bong Seon Kim, and Paul Hasse. At the Bluff View Cemetery on April 16, 2016, the 110th anniversary of Margaret’s mothers birth. For Bong Sen Kim, also known as Bessie Kim, Vermillion has a hold on her heart, and while her journey began more than 50 years ago, it will never let go. “I came to the University of South Dakota (USD) and the community of Vermillion in 1968 as an exchange student,” she explained. “I was from a small village in Korea and I met father (Merten Hasse) when he was in Korea. He welcomed me to his home. This trip is an opportunity for me to say thank you.” To this day she considers Hasse and his wife Gladys Hasse father and mother and their children Paul Hasse and Margret Hasse siblings. “The day I left to move to go to Stanford in California, she moved into my room,” explained Margret. “She became part of the family. That is just the way my parents were. They welcomed several students into their home. Dad was a professor at the University and he believed in opening doors for students he met on his travels.” Kim says she never felt unwelcome in Vermillion, even though 1968 was at the height of racial tensions around the country. “There was a small group of us that were international students,” she explained. “But for the most part there were not very many of us. We would meet once a semester or so. But I was very welcomed. I kind of feel like I was a princess.” Kim explained that growing up in Korea, while she was the oldest child, she was also always very gifted in terms of her education. Because she was a very good student, her Korean parents had never really made her do the house work and chores that her siblings were required to do. “My focus was always education,” she said. “That continued when I came to America. I don’t remember them ever asking me to do any work around the house. That is why I wanted to honor them when I began my mission work. I know father always dreamed that when I graduated from college, I would go back home and help out those less fortunate than me. I waited 30 years to do it. I know I was a disappointment to him in that, but I am following his dream now.” If your family suddenly needs surgical care, where will you turn? You want someone to ease your fears, lessen the stress, and take the time to comfort you and your family. No referral necessary. Call Yankton Surgical Associates, PC today for a consultation. 605-668-9670 24vHERVOICEvMAY/JUNE 2016 2525 Fox Run Parkway, Suite 204, Yankton www.yanktonsurgical.com Kynan C.Trail, MD, FACS