Testimonials on Centerville
Eventually every wanderer will find their home…
Bryn Chivers
…Mine is Centerville, South DakotA.
My name is Bryn Chivers and I was born and educated in Wales, a small country of mountains surrounded by the sea on three sides. Castles, Celtic history, our own unique language, and fresh fish in the markets. I attended Newport College of Art, and the University of Wales and have degrees in Fine Art and Art Education. I moved to the United States in the early 80’s as my (then) wife is American. I have one daughter and two grandchildren, who all have Welsh names, and who currently reside in another midwestern state.
I’ve lived in large cities like Chicago and Detroit, college towns like Ann Arbor (U of Michigan) and Champaign/Urbana (U of Illinois), and lots of other places in-between. I now reside in Centerville, SD, where I’ve lived for the past 18 years. The longest I’ve ever lived in one place.
I love art, books, and the sport of rugby, and these were the reasons for a lot of the moving around and are what brought me to South Dakota. For twenty years I worked for Barnes and Noble (There is no S at the end of Noble), opening stores, managing stores, closing stores, until the company asked me if I would be interested in moving from Chicago to run the store in Sioux Falls. I would have been happy to continue in that position but USA Rugby offered me the opportunity to coach the USA U20 Women’s Rugby Team, a position that it was hard for a sports nut to turn down. I had the opportunity to represent the USA in international competitions, practice at the Olympic Training Centers, travel the world, etc. The only caveat is that it came with an enormous pay cut that would necessitate a reduction in spending and a simplification of my life. So, I bought my tiny house in Centerville, and “Great Value” became my favorite brand name.
I had looked at houses in several small towns, but a combination of factors turned me off, houses too close together, no garage, weird vibe from the town, it’s hard to pin down the one thing that makes you say, “this is the one”. I looked at an ugly little house with an even uglier garage/barn/thing on two lots in Centerville, and the inside was even worse than the outside. With no intent to purchase it I went for a walk around the downtown, and this wasn’t the vibrant downtown we now have thanks to the work of Jared Hybertson and the Centerville Development Corp, this was a bakery, grocery store, and a couple of restaurants that seemed to be open at odd hours. I went into the grocery store and the young kids at the register gave me excellent customer service, twenty years in big box retail and you appreciate good service. I went across the street to the bakery, purchased a donut that I didn’t really want as I had never had a donut that I liked, stepped outside, took a bite, and thought “this was the greatest freakin’ donut I’ve ever eaten”. So, I moved here.
I’ve coached the sport of rugby for over 40 years. Coached in big universities and small colleges, coached two National Teams, the USA U20 Women and the Laos Men’s National Team, and coached in an international game on four continents.
I am currently employed as the Head Coach of Men’s and Women’s Rugby at Wayne State College in Nebraska. Last season the women’s team got knocked out in the round of eight of the National Championship, and the men lost in the final of the National Championship on the last play of the game. (Which they got back to and won in 2024!) I commute the 150 miles round trip daily.
I love international travel. The bustle of cities, art galleries, strange foods, music with odd rhythms, and following a sport not really played here. People ask me why I don’t move and the only answer I have is that I also love the tranquility I've found in my odd-looking house in this weird little town. Eventually every wanderer will find their home. Mine is Centerville, South Dakota.
My visit was short, but it was so heartwarming...
Ann B.
…Your town is a treasure.
Hello City of Centerville -
On recent travels, I passed through Centerville and saw the historic views of the town reproduced from old postcards on the side of the building at/ Main and Broadway.
I'm interested in purchasing reproduction postcards of those scenes, but I was unable to find any and the very nice ladies at the pharmacy across the street suggested I contact you.
Can you help me?
Ann B.
Minneapolis, MN
PS: Your town is just lovely and the residents were so hospitable!
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Hello Ann,
Thank you for the email! And thank you for noticing the improvements to our downtown. It was a fun project to work on. Yes, the enlarged photo prints were taken from some smaller photos we had access to through our museum. Some were in postcard form and others were just pictures.
I believe I can reproduce these in postcard size if you are interested. That is actually something we were considering doing and having for sale once we get our Arts, Commerce and Visitors Center up and going here in town. I am not sure what it will cost to do but I can look into it and let you know. I could mail them to you once complete. Let’s stay in touch.
Thanks!
Jared Hybertson
-Community & Economic Development Coordinator - City of Centerville
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Hi Jared -
Yes, I'd love to have copies of those pictures!
What a great way you've developed to showcase local history! It looks just great!
I'm a photographer myself and I had camped in the Centerville municipal park the previous night on my journey to see Igloo, South Dakota, and Toadstool Geologic Park in NW Nebraska to take photos.
I saw a lot of work going on freshening up Main Street, but what impressed me the most was the warm hospitality of the residents as I took a stroll down Main Street to the bakery where I got one of those delicious rosebud pastries. A local pastor asked if I was considering moving to the area and told me how he had come to be part of the Centerville community. The ladies in the pharmacy invited me to join them for coffee in the coffee shop across the street from the building with the photos on it.
My visit was short, but it was so heartwarming. Your town is a treasure.
Please keep me on the short list for reproductions of some of those Centerville images. I have collected postcards like that for many years since a friend first sent me one from Twin Valley, Minnesota, in about 1971. They are wonderful keepsakes.
Thank you for taking the time to respond to my inquiry.
Best wishes to you and all the Centerville residents to stay safe and healthy during these difficult times.
Ann B.
Minneapolis, MN