The Life of DUANE MAURICE SKOW
Duane M. Skow was born May 18, 1934 and passed away on October 20, 2009 of prostate cancer at Mercy Hospice in Johnston. Duane was the State Statistician of USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service and chief for the Iowa Department of Agriculture Statistics Bureau from 1973 until his retirement in 1995.
The son of John J. Skow and Anina M. (Anderson) Skow, Duane was born in St. Paul, Nebraska and was baptized in Walbach, NE on August 19, 1934. The family moved to South Dakota, which Duane always called home, in 1937. After graduating from high school in Gayville, South Dakota in 1952, he earned a double major in Agricultural Education and Agricultural Economics at South Dakota State College in Brookings in 1957. While still in college, Duane started his long illustrious career with USDA in 1956 working as the editor of statistical profiles for each of South Dakota’s 67 counties.
In 1957, Duane met his beloved wife, Vinette (Vi) Byg. They were married on August 8, 1959. After a brief assignment with USDA in Washington DC, he was promoted to Statistician in Charge of the Alaska State Office of USDA/NASS from 1965-1970. In 1970, he was transferred to the Texas State Office of USDA/NASS, and then in 1971-1973 he became Deputy State Statistician in California. USDA used these diverse assignments to groom Duane for what became his permanent position as USDA’s Chief AG Statistician in Iowa for the next 23 years. Throughout his career, Duane was recognized by his colleagues, receiving the USDA Certificate of Merit (1966), USDA Superior Service Award (1978) and the USDA/NASS Spot Ward (1991). Duane served as a consultant for a variety of agencies and organizations including several international assignments in Poland after the fall of the Soviet Union and the move towards free market economy.
Duane is survived by his wife Vi, five children and twelve grandchildren: Dane Duane Skow (Nancy Skow) - Emily, Allison and Laura; John Wesley Skow (Tracy Edmonson) - Peter, Tyler and Andrew; Lynette Skow Rasmussen (Kurt Rasmussen) - Sanna, Karl and Maren; Darlene Skow Johnson (Daniel Johnson) - Parker and Zoe; and Valerie Christine Skow (Nick Halstead) - Daniel Duane.
In life Duane loved his family, church and his work. He brought hope, optimism and a smile to everyone he met.
Funeral services will be held 10:00 a.m. Monday, October 26, 2009, at Luther Memorial Church, 1201 Grandview Ave in Des Moines with burial to follow at Highland Memory Gardens Cemetery. A visitation with the family present will be from 3-7:00 p.m. Sunday, October 25 at Hamilton's near Highland Memory Gardens, 121 NW 60th Avenue in Des Moines.
He may be remembered by contributions to the Des Moines YMCA Camp in Boone, Iowa or the Danish Immigrant Museum in Elkhorn, Iowa.
