On Friday, April 15, local youth Benton Howe was traveling via UTV when he was in a rollover accident. The 11-year-old was pinned beneath the UTV, and despite lifesaving measures, did not survive.
According to a statement released by the Minnehaha County Sheriff's Office, EMS arrived on the scene first, and was assisted by the Garretson Fire Department, MCSO, SD Highway Patrol, and a care flight helicopter.
The local community immediately surrounded the family during this time, expressing condolences and offers of support. Counselors and clergy were made available at the Garretson School when classes resumed on Tuesday, and school is canceled on Friday for a memorial service.
Benton is remembered as an energetic, happy child, who assisted the Garretson High School football team as a water boy, played basketball and baseball, and was a good wrestler. He enjoyed helping his father and grandfather on the dairy farm, riding in tractors, and loved outdoor activities such as hunting, snowmobiling, and trapping. He was friendly and outgoing with many friends of all ages, and his upbeat attitude was inspirational.
"With a heavy heart, we say goodbye to a leader, a teammate and an inspiration," wrote youth wrestling coach Vernon Miller on the Garretson Youth Wrestling Facebook Page. "Benton, you will always be remembered in the wrestling room for your positive attitude and your hard drive. Your team will miss you."
The memorial service will be held on Friday in the New Gym at the school at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorials be made for a future charitable use.
On Monday, the Garretson School District sent the following letter to the parents of the District:
Good afternoon,
As many of you are aware, our community and our school district experienced a significant loss over the weekend. One of our students, Benton Howe was killed in a tragic ATV accident on Friday evening. We know that his loss affects so many in different ways throughout our community.
The funeral will be held in the school district’s New Gym on Friday, April 22 at 11:00 AM. School will be canceled that day in order to allow the use of school district facilities for the funeral.
Tomorrow, Tuesday, April 18th, we will have a number of additional counselors and clergy available to our students who need to talk to someone. These counselors and clergy will be located in a central location, and as the need for privacy arises, we also have a number of private spaces that can be used for individuals and smaller groups to process their thoughts and feelings.
We do know that each of our students may handle the loss and their grief in different ways. If you feel like your family might be in need of additional support, one program that is available in our area is the "Sad Isn’t Bad" (https://sadisntbad.com/) program in Sioux Falls. Our school counselors, Michelle Pliska and Janie Lundberg can provide additional resources as requested.
One of the things I have learned in the past eight years in Garretson is that the strength of our community lies in our willingness to support one another through difficult times. While we are all feeling the loss a little differently, I am certain that our community will support one another in healing through this loss.
Respectfully,
Guy Johnson, Superintendent
