Deb Conway Montoya

Hello! I attended SDSU for one year after graduating with all of you from O’G. I then switched direction and went to the Stenotype Institute of South Dakota for court reporting. Upon graduation from there, I freelanced in Jackson, Minnesota, for a brief time and was then offered the opportunity of becoming an official court reporter with the SD Unified Judicial System for the Honorable John L. Wilds in 1974.

In 1976 I married Greg Beuckens and in 1980 together we had twin daughters, Megan and Molly. Wilds resigned in 1979 and Bob Heege was appointed and I worked for him. In 1991 I formed a freelance firm with two partners, but missed the courthouse and I was lucky enough to go to work for Judge RD Hurd. His untimely death in 1995 then brought me a new judge, Glen Severson. Due to a debilitating disability in 1999, I was no longer able to report and I was fortunate to become the 2nd Judicial Circuit Jury Manager/Head Bailiff, retiring in 2015.

Greg and I divorced in 1996 and I am now frightfully happily married to my husband Tom Montoya. My daughters blessed me with my six joy bundles and together Tom and I have 12 grandchildren and four great granddaughters. I can’t wait to see everyone!