On Monday night at the Lennox High School Honors Recognition Night, Marianne Courey was present to award a $10,000 scholarship to LHS senior Samantha Hyronimus. This annual scholarship is awarded to Lennox High School graduates who attend the University of South Dakota and is made possible by the Samuel and Mabel Courey Endowment Fund. Each year the award recognizes a member of the Courey family and names in the scholarship in their honor. This year’s award recognized Marianne Courey for her contributions to the community.
Marianne is the ninth of eleven siblings of Mr. and Mrs. Sam Courey, Sr., born in their house that was located north of First English Lutheran Church. Her family members had lived there over 90 years. The house has been removed and made into a parking lot for the Lutheran church.
Marianne remembers that she and her brothers played a lot of baseball in the Courey back yard and out on the street east of the Lutheran church and their house, sometimes halting the cars passing by, of course, and making some neighbors not too happy when balls were hit in their yards.
“We were very lucky more windows did not get broken,” said Marianne.
All seven brothers played on baseball teams. Marianne played softball.
The baseball highlight for the Courey family was when Dave and Fred were inducted into the South Dakota Hall of Fame located in Lake Norden, SD in 2005.
Another highlight for Marianne was attending the Major League All-Star Baseball game held in the dome in Minneapolis, MN on July 16, 1985. The National League won the game 6 to 1. This was the first year of the Home Run Derby and the Derby was won by the National League hitters 17 to 16, recalls Marianne. In later years, the Home Run Derby changed its format and is won by a single batter from either the American or National League.
Marianne was interested in other sports as well, including golf and bowling. She was a left-handed golfer, so when she first started, the only clubs she could buy (they were used) were from a driving range in Sioux Falls. She competed in ladies and couples tournaments and also held some offices. She got a ticket for the Men’s U.S. Open Tournament held June 10-16, 1991 at Hazeltine Golf Course in Chaske, MN. The tournament was won by Payne Stewart, said Marianne.
When a new bowling alley was built on South Main Street in Lennox in 1963, an exhibition night was held with Lee Strange, a Boston Red Sox pitcher, and Marianne bowling against Dick Wilson and Delbert Brooks, local bowlers. Strange and Marianne won the match, with Marianne having the highest scratch series of the four bowlers, 551 pins.