NDHSA Homeschool Hall of Fame
In recognition of the fact that freedom has a price, the board of the North Dakota Home School Association voted to establish the North Dakota Home School Hall of Fame.
Each year at our state convention, we will honor and recognize those who have given selflessly to promote the cause of homeschooling in this state. It was not an easy task, but these inductees chose to walk that difficult road, and consequently made the path easier for each of us to walk today.
And so, we honor and recognize these Hall of Fame inductees who have given selflessly to promote the cause of homeschooling in this state. Many did so through court battles which came with much strain on families. God has been gracious to us in raising up these individuals who were willing to stay the course. Most of them were quiet people, following where God led. May God, in like manner, find each of us faithful to the task which He calls us.
2023:
Jeff & Theresa Deckert
Ken & Llora Knight
2022:
2021:
2020:
2019:
Many in the ND homeschooling community have been impacted by Jeff and Theresa Deckert. The Deckerts had an impressive seventeen year run on the board of the NDHSA. Theresa’s ever popular “Getting started” class has been a staple at every NDHSA convention from 1994 until the present. This class became even more popular in 2020, as scores of parents were thrust into homeschooling. Theresa traveled across the state during the pandemic, helping these new homeschooling parents realize they didn’t have to figure it out alone. Theresa was the NDHSA office administrator for ten years, retiring just last year, and she continues to serve as a lobbyist on the legislative team which helps keep homeschooling free in the state of North Dakota. If a law has been successfully passed in the ND legislature that has been beneficial to the homeschooling community, chances are Theresa Deckert was involved. Often working behind the scenes, Jeff and Theresa have served the ND homeschooling community faithfully, and for this reason, we recognize their courage and sacrifice.
Jeff and Theresa have four children. Jonathan is the oldest and is married to Andrea. They have six children they homeschool (the oldest is in college): Liz, Josh, Abby, James, Josiah and John. Larisa is the next oldest of the Deckert children and is married to Eric and lives in Minneapolis. They have two children: Emmi and Teddy. Jared is the Deckert’s third child and is married to Emily. They have four children: Noah, Landon, Mackenzie and Micah. Joseph is the youngest of the Deckert family and is married to Neva. Their daughter was born in May, 2023. The Deckert boys all live in the Devils Lake area and Theresa has the joy of helping to homeschool her grandchildren.
2018:
Marshall and Janice Karges
Marvin and Connie Wolf
Doug and Ruth Berntson
Gregory L Lange, Esquire
LeRoy & Anne Nelson
The North Dakota Underground Homeschooler
Dr. Brian Ray
Linus & Anne Evinger
Bill and Gail Biby
Morris & Jackie Conklin
Allan Entzel
2016:
2015:
2017:
Michael Farris
Tom & Peggy Patzer
Neil & Chris Toman
Grael Gannon
Ed & Sue Huntington
Clinton & Judy Birst
Mark & Lynette Dagley
Ray & Rita Larsen
Gerald & Sheryl Lund
In 1999, the Knights moved to Hazen, North Dakota from Ohio, where they had been actively fighting for homeschool freedom. At that point, Llora became actively involved in helping set up at conventions and became the statewide homeschool support group coordinator, a role which she still serves in today. Ken and Llora joined the NDHSA board of directors in August, 2009. The following year Ken was elected president and served in that capacity until September of 2021. He always said the highlight of those years was establishing the NDHSA Homeschool Hall of Fame. Llora continues to serve the NDHSA as the western support group coordinator. After 39 years of homeschooling in three states and three countries, the Knights’ homeschool journey officially ended in March 2022, when their fourteenth child graduated high school. Ken was unable to attend as he had graduated to heaven the previous year.
