FAMILY Following In Dad’s Footsteps Children pursuing a similar career as their parents is not that uncommon, but those children returning to their Midwestern hometowns to work is a little less common. Recently, two Yankton natives returned to Yankton to practice medicine at the Yankton Medical Clinic, following in the footsteps of their fathers. Dr. Jill Sternquist, OB/GYN began working at YMC in August, and Dr. Clarissa Barnes began work in internal medicine in September. Jill earned an undergraduate business degree from the University of South Dakota and worked for a while in information technology. She quickly realized her 8 a.m.-5 p.m. job was not as satisfying as she had hoped. “I went back to school and decided to do med school,” she said. She chose the OB/GYN specialty because she found it to be the most interesting. “Women’s health applies to me and my friends, and you get to perform a variety of surgeries and procedures and deliver babies,” she said. Returning to Yankton was an easy decision for Jill and her husband, Jason Nelson, who is also a Yankton native. The couple has two children, Easton, 5 and Xavier, 1. “We knew we wanted to raise our kids here,” she said. “Plus, Yankton has an excellent medical community for its size. We always knew we wanted to come back.” Jill says she is still adjusting to life in Yankton after finishing her hectic residency at Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha, Neb. “It’s nice to have a day off and spend that time just being a mom to my boys,” she said. “It’s also nice to not deal with traffic and a half-hour commute to and from work. When it’s nice, I can just walk to the clinic.” The Yankton atmosphere is also a relief for Jill and her family. Dr. Clarissa Barnes Simplifying Life’s Most Difficult Decisions “Dying is one of the events in life certain to occur, yet one we are not likely to plan for.” We spend more time getting ready for two weeks away from work than we do for our last time on Earth” (Time Magazine) Guiding and serving families with compassion and trust. Tami Keller Funeral Director 8 n HERVOICE NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011 Funeral Home & Crematory, Yankton Memorial Resource Center, Tyndall • Memorial Chapels, Tabor & Menno 665-9679 • 1-800-495-9679 • www.opsahlkostelfuneralhome.com