A Strong Sense of Place with Bernie Hunhoff

Few people have traveled the backroads of South Dakota with as much curiosity and affection as 2020 South Dakota Hall of Fame Inductee Bernie Hunhoff.

Publisher, writer, legislator, historian, and storyteller, Bernie has spent five decades capturing the character of our state. Yet if you ask him what it means to be part of the South Dakota Hall of Fame, his answer is simple and heartfelt.

“It just feels like a class reunion to me,” shared Bernie. “They’re just such salt of the earth, down home South Dakotans. To be among those ranks is really heartwarming.”

That warmth runs deep in Bernie’s story. To understand his life, you have to go back to a farm north of Yankton and a family shaped by hardship, faith, and resiliency.

Deep Roots in South Dakota

The Hunhoff roots in South Dakota stretch back to 1883. But the defining chapter began in 1927, when Bernie’s grandfather died after a long illness, leaving his grandmother with nine young children to raise just as the Great Depression began. Friends urged her to send a few kids to various relatives, but she was determined to keep everyone together. Gay and Bernie Sr., ages 12 and 11, were the oldest; they left school to work the land and helped raise their siblings.

“Success wasn’t even a word out there,” Bernie reflected. “It was survival, survival, survival.”

Thanks to his grandmother and father’s determination to see the family survive, their hard-won farm remains in the family today. 

Bernie grew up in a household of eight boys, with one brother who tragically passed away in a farming accident at a young age. His mother was a nurse and an aspiring poet. His father, who had only an eighth-grade education, subscribed to two daily newspapers and read every book brought into the house. Words, stories, and especially community mattered to the Hunhoffs. “We learned just be part of a family and a greater family, a community that works together,” he said. “Together you can survive and maybe even succeed.”

Finding His Calling

Bernie attended Mount Marty College in Yankton, part of the first class of men admitted after the school transitioned from an all-women’s college. He studied media in a program built around his interests in writing and communication. After college, he briefly worked in politics and journalism, including time at newspapers in Watertown and Madison. He also served as public relations director for the effort to expand the University of South Dakota’s medical school to four years. 

“It was a great experience,” he said. “I quickly learned about the entire state. But state government felt too regimented. Journalism kept calling me back.”

In 1978, Bernie and his wife, Myrna, started a weekly newspaper in Yankton called The Observer. It grew to become the largest weekly in South Dakota. Yet Bernie longed for something that allowed for a deeper line of storytelling. A non-compete clause prevented him from starting another newspaper in South Dakota. A spark of an idea struck Bernie while on a drive home from Colorado. When he arrived home, he reread the contract and realized the non-compete restricted newspapers, but said nothing about magazines. 

South Dakota Magazine was born in 1985, with the hopes of capturing the essence of South Dakota and fulfilling more of Bernie’s dreams.

Building a Legacy

South Dakota Magazine began with little money and zero readers. To obtain a mailing permit, they needed 200 paid subscribers. Bernie and Myrna went door to door, sometimes with their children in tow, asking businesses and neighbors to subscribe.

The first issue was far from perfect. The cover color was wrong. The paper was cheap. But the writing carried something deeper. It carried honesty. From the beginning, the goal was clear. A true snapshot of South Dakota. 

“It was always our intent to show the real South Dakota,” Bernie said. “Good or bad. There’s an honesty to it.”

In the early years, money was tight. At one point, Bernie sold a cow to pay a printing bill. Then came a breakthrough. They mailed a holiday gift subscription insert to newspapers across the state, even though they did not have the money to pay for it yet. At first, the response was slow. Then the postmaster handed Bernie a box filled with subscription orders. That moment changed everything.

Over time, readers began sending the magazine beyond South Dakota’s borders. It made its way to children who had moved away, to relatives who had never lived here, and to homesick friends.

“They realized the magazine was a way to show others what they loved about South Dakota,” shared Bernie.

Today, South Dakota Magazine has more than 35,000 subscribers and an estimated 150,000 readers. It is published from a 1875 brick house in Yankton. The magazine now operates under the leadership of his daughter Katie, with a dedicated team that includes longtime art director Andrea Mabry and editor John Andrews. Bernie still shows up every day, often starting with a stop at the family coffee shop, Muddy Mo’s, before heading to write.

Before the writing can begin, the search for the story is at the heart of Bernie’s work.

“I just love getting in a car with a camera and a notepad and driving around South Dakota,” he said. “Just searching for stories that will make an impact.”

Lasting Principles

Beyond journalism, Bernie served in the South Dakota Legislature for 14 years across two periods of service and even ran for governor. He recalls an era when lawmakers disagreed passionately but respected one another deeply.

“There is a rule in the legislative code that says you shall not judge other people’s motivations,” he said. “You can judge their bill. But you do not judge their motivations.” He believes that principle still holds power today.

Bernie credits the Benedictine Sisters of Sacred Heart Convent in Yankton as lifelong mentors. Their Benedictine values of community, service, prayer, and honest work shaped him.

“If you just think about your greater community, try to provide some good public service, put in a good day’s work, and find some spirituality, those things will take you a long way.” 

For Bernie, integrity is everything, and he finds it in every story he comes across.

“In South Dakota, you can almost assume integrity among just about everybody you run into. And that’s a good thing.”

A Lasting Impact

Bernie believes that one of the greatest gifts a person can receive is a sense of place.

“When you better understand the place you live, life becomes more interesting and more meaningful,” he said.

Through stories of hardship, humor, politics, nature, and everyday life, South Dakota Magazine has helped thousands reconnect with home. Some readers have even moved back because of it. Reflecting on his work as a journalist and writer, Bernie notes that his proudest achievement is not circulation numbers. It’s a connection. Connection to people and places in South Dakota.

“I am proud that the magazine really belongs to the readers,” he said. “They taught us that.” When asked how he hopes to be remembered, his answer returns to what has always mattered most. Family.

“I want my kids and grandkids to remember me as somebody who loved them and tried to help give them a good start in life.” He continued, “I want South Dakota Magazine to be remembered as something that brings South Dakota together.” 

From a farm north of Yankton to publishing the state’s largest print magazine, Bernie Hunhoff’s story is a testament to perseverance, storytelling, and a deep love for South Dakota.

Learn more about Bernie Hunhoff’s legacy at the South Dakota Hall of Fame legacy page.

Watch the full interview with Bernie Hunhoff, moderated by Jack Marsh, below to hear the stories in his own words.