South Dakota Adoption Court Cases

South Dakota Court Case: Estate of Eddins
Nellie Marie Eddins, claiming to be an heir at law of the said John C. Eddins, petitioned for a share of his estate. This claim was resisted by the executor of the estate of said Martha Eddins who had died after the death of John C. Eddins; and whether the said Nellie Marie Eddins became an heir at law of John C. Eddins by virtue of her adoption by Estill Seeley Eddins, the son of said John C. Eddins, is the issue, and the only issue...


South Dakota Court Case: Adoption of Christofferson
The evidence indicates that appellant remarried shortly after the divorce on May 11, 1972, and assumed full support of his new wife and her three children. After the divorce was granted, appellant made payments of support on two occasions: (1) Payments were made after the June 9, 1972 hearing to avoid a sixty-day jail sentence for contempt, and (2) Further payments were made after appellant was arrested in the State...


South Dakota Court Case: In re G.K.
G.K. stayed in frequent contact with M.G. and in September offered to bring her to Idaho. She requested a delay because of the Corn Palace festivities. Subsequent conversations also produced requests for delay and finally in late October M.G. refused to go to Idaho. G.K. had been sending her money throughout this period. n1 Although M.G. refused to join him, G.K. continued to send money...


South Dakota Court Case: Estate of Edwards
The decedent was born out of wedlock and was adopted at an early age by Eugene and Mable Edwards. His natural mother later remarried and had three additional children, Joan Hawkins, Thomas Marr and Mary Tlustos, appellant. The adoptive parents had no other children, but Mrs. Edwards had one brother, Harold Kneen, who had six children, one of whom is the respondent, Shirley Vinz. Upon the death of both...


South Dakota Court Case: In re J.H.
In this case, the trial court ordered termination of Mother's and Father's parental rights and placement of Child pending open adoption with Grandmother in Washington. Under the order, Mother is allowed contact with, but not custody of, Child. The State appeals the order as to the trial court's placement decision. By notice of review, Mother appeals the order as to the trial court's termination decision...


South Dakota Court Case: Adoption of Everett
This is a consolidated appeal brought by Mr. and Mrs. Warren Oakland and the State of South Dakota seeking reversal of: (1) an order allowing respondent Candace Everett to withdraw her consent to adoption and her petition for voluntary termination of parental rights; and (2) an order dismissing the Oaklands' petition for adoption. Appellants also seek review of an adjudication finding Ms. Everett's child not to be dependent...


South Dakota Court Case: Adoption of Sichmeller
Lance Ronald Sichmeller was born on October 8, 1974. His parents, Jill Gross Sichmeller and Ronald Sichmeller, were divorced on August 25, 1975. From August 1975 until August 1977, Ronald visited Lance six times and made sporadic child support payments. After Jill married farmer Frank Mills in 1977, however, Ronald ceased all contact with Lance. That year, Ronald developed multiple sclerosis...


South Dakota Court Case: Claymore v. Johnson
Plaintiff, Shayne Claymore (Claymore), an enrolled member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, and defendant, Janelle Johnson Serr (Serr), a non-Indian, attended high school together in Eagle Butte, South Dakota and began dating in their early teens. Serr became pregnant and gave birth to her daughter, Danette, in 1977. Claymore was the natural father of the child. Marriage was not contemplated at the time...


South Dakota Court Case: Estate of Arlyn Erbe
On September 19, 1988, a petition was filed by Lassle stating that he was the sole child of the decedent and that the will admitted to probate did not make any provisions for him. Four months later, Lassle filed a Declaratory Judgment action seeking determination of heirship and a Motion requesting that the co-executrixes be restrained from closing and distributing any assets in the estate until determination of heirship was first made by the court...


South Dakota Court Case: D.G. v. D.M.K.
Following Child's birth, Mother and D.G. continued to live together for approximately seven months. During this time, D.G. financially supported Mother and Child, as well as providing assistance for Mother's two teenage sons from a previous marriage. In March of 1992, Mother and D.G.'s relationship began to deteriorate. Mother and Child moved to an apartment in Rapid City...


South Dakota Court Case: In re Baby Boy K.
That the alleged natural father of the above named minor child is unknown to her and only known as Daryl; that she cannot further identify him; that no person has come forth to acknowledge paternity; and that if she could identify him by personal observation, she would not know his complete name or address. That [Mother] was in the company of several different people on an evening in May, 1993, that during the...

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