Lifetime Service Award

This year's recipients of the Lifetime Service Award are Cletus G. Natz (deceased) and Leonard Hamak.

Cletus G. Natz

Cletus Natz had been a continuous member of the Knights of Columbus for sixty-two years. He served on the local council as a Chancellor, Financial Secretary, Grand Knight, and Council Trustee. He was also a KC Insurance Agent. He served on the state level as a District Deputy, four terms as a State Deputy, and as Master of the Fourth Degree

He was active in promoting Church teachings on social justice issues including abortion on the state and federal level. He also was the contact person to the National Catholic Office for the Deaf and Supreme Knight Virgil Dechant concerning his Council's creation of sign language cards for prayers. These cards were made available nationwide. In the 1950's he was involved in promoting the idea of adding "One Nation Under God" in the pledge of allegiance. This started as a Knights of Columbus State Convention resolution in South Dakota, then was adopted as a resolution at a Knights of Columbus Supreme Convention. Later, it was enacted into law by the U.S. Congress and the President of the United States.

As a guest writer for another state's KC newsletter in 1959, he wrote an article title, "Why Are We Knights of Columbus?" Toward the end of this article he wrote: "It all adds up to this ~ my membership gives me an opportunity ~ to be service to God ~ to my church and to my community ~ an opportunity to be a Christopher ~ a Christ bearer ~ a better Catholic American."

He won many Council awards including being the Mardi Gras King, receiving the Frank Owens award, and having the Knight of the Year award renamed as the Cletus Natz Knight of the Year.

Cletus passed away four years ago and was a member of Marquette Council #1941 in Sioux Falls.

Leonard Hamak

Leonard has been a member of the Knights of Columbus for forty-one years and eleven months. He served on the local council as a Lecture, Recorder, Deputy Grand Knights, Grand Knight, Trustee, District Deputy, First Degree Captain, and has been the Financial Secretary for thirty years.

In other activities he has been Membership Chairman for twenty-nine years, recruiting and reinstating fifty-six Brother Knights, Scrapbook Chairman for ten years, Council Photographer, Publicity Chairman, Tootsie Roll Organizer, and Supervisor for Popcorn Concession at the Sitting Bull Stampede Rodeo for twenty-four years. He has only missed twelve meetings in forty-one years and eleven months. He is a member of Council #4213 in Mobridge.