A time of celebrating Jomay's life and sharing stories will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 20, 2019 at the Legion Hall in Faith, SD.

Jomay Steen was born May 24, 1958 at the Faith Hospital in Faith, SD. Dr Paul Dzinters was the attending doctor. Jomay attended grade school at the Turtle Creek school 4 miles west of the homestead. She was in the largest class to attend the country school. Her class, 4 students went on to graduate from Faith High School in 1976.

Jomay graduated from South Dakota State University in 1980. She served 2 years as a VISTA volunteer in Helena and Billings MT. On a provisional contract she then taught school at Bridger Day school. She then went on to teach at Cherry Creek Day School and Takini from 1983 to 1996. She returned to SDSU finished a Journalism Degree with internships with the Freedom Forum and Community News Service. It was while Jomay was reporting for Community News Service that Jack Marsh, executive editor at the Argus Leader, hired her as a general news reporter. She worked as a reporter for the Brookings Bureau of the Argus Leader, then at the Sioux Falls office from 1998 to 2003. Jomay was hired by executive editor Peggy Sagan for reporting duties at the Rapid City Journal in 2003.

In 2011 Jomay returned to teaching school, her first love. She taught at Rock Creek Grant School in Bullhead, and Stand Rock Indian School at Ft. Yeats from 2011 to 2016. Dues to health reasons she retired early and came home to the Steen Homestead. Jomay was a caring individual who maintained relationships through out her life, once she met you; you were a friend for life.

Grateful for having her in their lives, sister LouAnn, nephews Chris and Gene, niece Bobbi, her husband Mark and their children Lani, Jase and Marty Joe.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Albert and Lila Steen.

A Native American fund is being established in Jomay's name in the School of Communication and Journalism within the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at South Dakota State University.  Make your secure on-line gift at https://www.sdstatefoundation.org/give-now or send your gift directly to the SDSU Foundation 815 Medary Avenue Box 525, Brookings, SD, 57007.