Schunemans Establish Rural Medicine Scholarship at USD to Benefit Milbank
Local News January 27, 2025 Staff 1


The University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine (SSOM) announced a new endowed scholarship established in the name of the Bill and Jill Schuneman family, formerly of MIlbank. The Bill and Jill Schuneman Family Excellence in Rural Medicine Scholarship Endowment creates an annual scholarship to be given to a medical student who spends part of their training at the Milbank Area Hospital while participating in the SSOM Frontier And Rural Medicine (FARM) program. FARM offers hands-on education and a unique view of the rewards and challenges of providing patient care in a rural setting, with the aim the medical professional will return to a rural area to practice.
The Schunemans, now residents of Sioux Falls, made Milbank their home for 35 years. “We raised all four of our children in the Milbank schools, and they all got a wonderful education. We can’t say enough good things about the community,” stated Jill. Bill and Jill owned Schuneman Equipment, a John Deere dealership, from 1979 until 2017, when they merged the business with Kibble Equipment. During that time, the Schunemans contributed to many organizations, including the new hospital, 4-H, Unity Square, their church, and multiple service committees.

In addition to giving back to the Milbank community, the Schunemans wanted to honor their children: Tom, Molly, Rob and Marnie. “I immediately thought of USD medicine,” said Jill. Bill and Jill’s daughters, and son-in-law Daniel Terveen, are alumni of the SSOM. “This endowment enables us to give back to both Milbank and USD at the same time.”
The first recipient of the Schuneman Family Rural Medicine Scholarship is Abbey Rieber. In February, Rieber will begin 11 months of medical training in Milbank. “We hope the endowment supports a continued supply of students who want to return and establish their careers as practicing physicians in Milbank,” Bill explained. “We are very happy that we are able to help the community this way.”
Submitted Photos: Top- Bill and Jill.
Bottom- Marnie and Molly USD Med School graduates.