Henry Stanley Trysla

SOUTH SIOUX CITY -- Henry S. Trysla, 82, of South Sioux City died January 22, 2012, following a four-month battle with pancreatic cancer. Services will be 10:30 a.m. Friday, January 27, 2012 at St. Michael's Catholic Church in South Sioux City. Burial will be in St. Michael's Cemetery. Visitation will be 3 to 8 p.m. Thursday, with the family present 5 to 8 p.m. and a vigil service at 7 p.m., at Meyer Brothers Morningside Chapel, 6200 Morningside Ave. Condolences may be sent online to www.meyerbroschapels.com. Henry was born January 28, 1929, in Huron, S.D., the son of Stanley and Antonia Trysla, Polish immigrants who traveled to the U.S. via Ellis Island. The Trysla family moved to South Sioux City in 1930 and Henry continued to live in the area until his death. He graduated from South Sioux City High School and attended Wayne State College in Wayne, Neb. He was a local sports standout while in high school, named All-City Basketball selection twice and continues to hold a record for the most touchdowns (four) scored in a single game. He began his newspaper career in 1952 as a writer and columnist at the South Sioux City Star (formerly known as the Dakota County Star.) He was named editor of the Dakota County Star at the age of 22 and continued in this role until his semi-retirement in 1992. Beginning in 1992, he continued to contribute to the local newspaper writing travel, human-interest stories and editorials as well as a personal column. Henry married Margaret Hartnett of Hubbard, Neb., on April 11, 1959. They had five children Teresa, Patrick, Maria, Trudi and Timothy. Under Henry's leadership, the Star earned Ak-Sar-Ben Community Service awards nine times. He served as president of the Nebraska Press Association and was honored by this organization in 1998 for 50 years of journalism. He also was named the Master Editor-Publisher award winner - the highest honor the Nebraska Press Association bestows. He was the recipient of the Andy Award in 1997 from the University of Nebraska-Omaha for foreign country reporting, and was awarded the Nebraska Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) Media Award in 1973. In addition, he was the past president of the Northeast Nebraska Press Association, Tri-State Editorial Association as well as the chairman of the Convention Committee for the Nebraska Press Association for 26 years and served in the Nebraska Press Legislative Committee for 12 years. He was inducted into the Nebraska Press Association and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Journalism and Mass Communications Hall of Fame effective October 2003. He has traveled to and written about England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Belarus, Russia, Finland, Norway, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Canada, Morocco, Mexico, Jamaica, Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, Turkey, Thailand, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Cuba, Israel, Egypt, India, Australia, New Zealand and China as well as many parts of the United States. Henry was the past president of the South Sioux City Rotary Club, South Sioux City Chamber of Commerce, A.A.U. Swim Club and the South Sioux City Development Corporation. He also served two terms on the Judicial Nominating Commission. He was the recipient of the Optimist Club Service to Youth Award, Life Membership in the PTA, Youth Baseball Service Award and was the only person to be selected twice as the grand marshal of the Greater Siouxland Fair. He was a founding member of the board of directors of the Dakota County Sate Bank (presently the Farmers Merchant Bank) of South Sioux City and a member of the group that established the cable television system in South Sioux City. He worked with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission to obtain funds that led to the purchase of 80 acres for a park on the Missouri River in South Sioux City. He was credited for creating the necessary publicity that led to the founding of the Atokad Agriculture and Racing Association that eventually resulted in the building of a local horse race track. In November of 2011, the South Sioux City Chamber of Commerce honored him through a city proclamation for his many contributions to the South Sioux City community. A lifelong member of the Catholic church, he served on the governing board of the Saint Michael's Catholic Church and was co-chairman of the building committee when the church was built. He served as one of St. Michael's first Eucharistic ministers. Survivors include his wife, Margaret; their children, Teresa and her husband, Bill Townsend of Sioux Falls, S.D., Pat and his wife, Kris Trysla of Kansas City, Mo.; Maria Trysla and husband, Byron Arthur of Boulder, Colo., Trudi Noel Trysla and husband, David Schultz of St. Paul, Minn., and Timothy Trysla of Washington, D.C.; his grandchildren, Matthew, Meg, Elizabeth and Rachel Townsend, Sydney and Drake Arthur, Sam, Colin and Nina Schultz and Tatum, Cimone and Clayton Trysla; and his sisters, Elizabeth Trysla and Evie Boyd of Arlington, Va., and Virginia Olsen of Colorado Springs, Colo. He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, John and Kazmer Trysla; and sister, Rose Trzeciak. Pallbearers will be Phil Carter, Pat Engel, D. Paul Hartnett, James Hartnett, Brad Moore and Mike Wilmes. Honorary pallbearers are sons-in-law, Bill Townsend, David Schultz and Byron Arthur, Dr. Judd Lischke as well as members of the Nebraska Press Association. In lieu of flowers, the Henry S. Trysla Memorial Fund has been established at the Farmers Merchant Bank, 2024 Dakota Ave., South Sioux City, NE 68776. Donations will be directed either to the South Sioux City Athletics Department for a memorial honoring Henry's contribution or the St. Jude's Hospital in honor of Clayton Trysla, one of Henry's grandsons.