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Camille Landekil

Camille Landekil
Camille Landekil

Eminent Homemaker

County: Moody

In living her life, Camille Landekil believes she is a chosen person of God. “I can’t have as beautiful a life as this without His help and guidance—life has all been so good,” she said.

Landekil’s involvement in church work, community service, Extension work, 4-H and family earned her the distinction of being honored as 1979 Eminent Homemaker by the South Dakota Board of Regents and South Dakota State University.

“Long ago when I first heard of the Eminent Homemaker award, I thought it was for an excellent housekeeper and I thought to myself, ‘That’s not all there is to life.’ But then I learned that an Eminent Homemaker is one who’s involved in life outside herself. She participates in her club, community and country as the Extension homemakers pledge each month,” Landekil said.

As a young girl, Camille VanOrnum dreamed of being a school teacher, a dream that came true and lasted a lifetime. She taught rural school in Clark County for six years as the young wife of Almer Landekil, a farmer, and “loved every minute of it.”

Due to Almer’s failing health, the couple moved to Colman in 1953 where he worked at the Sioux Valley Empire Electric Association and she taught school in Moody County for four years.

Then the two purchased the Community Sundries store in Colman. After his death, she took over duties in the store, remodeling and expanding as the need arose during the next 21 years.

She was a member of the Moody County Extension Club for 24 years, a group in which “cooperation and education were the key values.”

She expanded her Extension world when she attended two Associated Country Women of the World meetings—one in Michigan and the other in Norway.

Landekil served on the Moody County Extension Board for nearly 20 years and on the State Extension Board for three years.

A 17-year 4-H leader, she led the Jolly Juniors in Clark County and the Colman Colleens in Moody County.

She was named a Friend of 4-H in Moody County, attended the Leaders Forum in Washington, D.C., hosted a Japanese exchange youth and represented her county at Rural Homemaker Day in Sioux City, Iowa.

Landekil has one daughter, Deloris, a 4-H urban program assistant in Watertown, five grandchildren and two great grandchildren.