Trula Marcella (Horn) Fields passed away Friday, February, 13, 2015 at the Belle Fourche Health Care Center in Belle Fourche, SD. She was 91.

Trula was born May 27, 1923 to Franklin Sturgis and Rosie (Layne) Horn. She was born near Quinlan, OK. Trula was the first girl born in a family of 13 grown children. She took on early responsibility helping to raise her younger siblings when her mother Rosie died from childbirth complications. Trula was only six when her mother died at age 39. Rosie had 11 children but two died when small. Trula's step-mother was Josie Harris Horn, and she had four more children with Frank. Trula's childhood was during the "Dirty Thirties" in Oklahoma. This instilled in her the values of hard work, honesty and the deep feeling for our Lord. She truly tried to live her life in those beliefs.

Trula graduated from Quinlan High School in 1941. She married Charles "Bill" Milton Fields in Woodward, OK on May 29, 1941, two days after her 18th birthday. This union lasted 73 years. Their first two children, Charlene and Billy, were born in Oklahoma. In December 1946, Bill and Trula and their two young children moved to a ranch south of Dupree, SD. Bill managed the ranch that was purchased one year earlier.

Shortly after their arrival, Trula was asked to teach in a "Country School". That was the beginning of a very long, dedicated, and decorated education journey. She taught for several years at three rural schools; Sunnybrook, Fairview, and White Swan. Her students loved her and remembered her, as she inspired learning. While she taught, she spent many summers attending summer school at Northern State and Black Hills College. Bob and Bernie were born by then, and they also went to Summer School. She received her B.S. Degree in Elementary Education in 1960 from Northern State, and her M.S. Degree in Administration in 1972 from Black Hills State University.

Trula was Ziebach County Superintendent of School in 1957. She was Head Start Director on the Cheyenne River Reservation from 1965-69. She was Teacher Corp Director for Eagle Butte School District in 1970-71. She taught both in Dupree and Eagle Butte until moving to Vale, SD in 1979. Then she became Elementary Principal in Newell, SD, from 1979-1991 when she retired. She served 22 years in teaching and 20 years as an administrator.

Retirement allowed Trula to pursue her love of family, sewing, quilting, art, gardening, water aerobics and writing a book entitled "A Baker's Dozen". This book tells her life story in Oklahoma and then in South Dakota, especially focusing on the Great Depression. Trula was named Ziebach County Historian of the Year in 2013.

Survivors are her children, Charlene (David) Schmidt, Brandon, SD, Billy (Nancy) Fields, Sturgis, SD, Robert (Evon) Fields, Great Falls, MT, and Bernard (Vicky) Fields, Sturgis, SD; Grandchildren, Camille (Adam) Lewis, Hartford, SD, Mark (Cindy) Schmidt, Gettysburg, SD, Paul Schmidt, Brandon, SD, Michael (Donna) Fields, Torrington, WY, Jason (Jaclyn) Fields, Sturgis, SD, Joshua Fields, Phoenix, AZ, Marci (John) Ridle, Chatham, IL, Amanda (Blake) Ladage, Chatham, IL, Stacey (Aric) Balster, Whitewood, SD, Lisa (Robert) Moore, Gillette, WY, David (Terri) Fields, Black Hawk, SD; Trula also had 17 great-grandchildren. The only surviving sibling is John (Koula) Horn, Athens Greece.

Preceding her in death was her husband, Charles "Bill" Fields, who died November 26, 2014. She also lost her first born son, Ralph Milton, at birth; her eight brothers and three sisters, Calvin, Walter, Harvey, Jesse, Leroy, Mike, Pat, Marlow, Leatha, Annabelle and Lavetta.

Visitation will be 5:00pm until 7:00 pm Tuesday February 17, 2015 at Kinkade Funeral Chapel.

Funeral services will be 10 a.m. Wednesday, February 18, 2015 at the Kinkade Funeral Chapel in Sturgis with Pastor Ron Ledford officiating. Burial follows at the Bear Butte Cemetery in Sturgis.

A memorial has been established to the Ziebach County Historical Society.

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