About Us

The South Dakota Funeral Directors Association was founded in 1898.

"No association exists for personal aggrandizement of one, but for the benefit of us all. Had it not been for the good principles on which the association was based, our foundation would not have been so sound to build upon. No doubt, if the members that organized the association in 1898 could be with us today, they would be proud of the organization." This quote was taken from a speech made at the Annual State Convention back in June 1926. We echo those sentiments still today.

The first possible mention of South Dakota's membership in the National Funeral Directors Association was that of Dakota in the years 1885 and 1886. There is no mention of any of the Dakotas until 1890 when it joined the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) as a state Association called the "Tri-State Association" which was comprised of the states of Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. This was the affiliation that South Dakota had with the NFDA until 1901 when it became an individual state affiliated with NFDA.