E. Y. Berry Congressional Papers

E. Y. (Ellis Yarnal) Berry served as Congressman for West River South Dakota from 1951-1971. During his tenure in the U. S. Congress, he served on the House Interior and Insular Committee, as well as the Foreign Affairs Committee. He worked to pass legislation to help farmers and the betterment of conditions for Native Americans.

He was born in in Larchwood, Iowa, October 6, 1902. His family later moved to Philip, South Dakota where they operated a dairy. Berry graduated from Philip High School in 1919. In 1927 he graduated from the University of South Dakota Law School. He married country school teacher, Rose Hartinger on March 4th, 1928. The couple moved to Mobridge and Berry established his law practice. He was elected to the South Dakota Legislature in 1938 and 1940 representing Carson, Dewey, and Ziebach Counties. In 1944 he was appointed by M. Q. Sharpe to the Missouri River States Committee to plan construction of dams after World War II. He also served on the South Dakota Board of Regents for four of years, as well as States Attorney, county judge, city mayor, and County Chairman of the Republican Party. He purchased the McLaughlin Messenger in 1936 and added newspaper editor to his long list of accomplishments.

In 1950, when Francis Case announced his intention to run for the United States Senate, E. Y. Berry decided he would run to fill the seat in the House of Representatives. He served for 20 years. Upon his retirement from Congress in 1971, he and his wife returned to their Black Hills home in Hisega and he donated his Congressional Papers to the library at Black Hills State College, now Black Hills State University. He and Rose lived in Hisega until 1993 when they moved to Westhills Village Retirement Home in Rapid City. He died April 1, 1999. Rose preceded him in death by two months. They are buried in Mountain View Cemetery in Rapid City, South Dakota.