It must have been with a mixture of audacity and hope that Freeman, S.D., area Mennonites established the South Dakota Mennonite College Corporation in 1900. Despite the fervent contributions of supporters and alumni, Freeman Junior College closed its doors in 1986, and on Jan. 31, 2026, the board voted to close Freeman Academy (AW, March). There is no doubt that diminished enrollments laid a crushing load on the board. But it was disturbing to hear that some in the community refused to send their children to Freeman Academy because of its affiliation with Mennonite Church USA, which itself has become a splintered and diminished entity. Now, Freeman, once a Mennonite mecca, will become known for its U.S. and military flags waving and ever-growing war memorial on the east side of town. Perhaps that is why Mennonites are known as a “historic” peace church, with the emphasis on “historic.” So ends an audacious and hopeful dream.

David E. Ortman, Seattle