Their spirit lives on

In the close-knit Midkota School District community, covering a large swath of eastern Foster County and extending into Griggs and parts of Nelson, Eddy and Stutsman counties, the sudden loss of any of its extended family cuts deeply to the souls of all within it.

The Griggs/Midkota Titans were set to play the South Border Mustangs in the first round of the Region 3 Boys' Basketball Tournament Monday, March 7, three days after one of their biggest supporters and inspirations, Mandy Hoyt of McHenry, lost her five-and-a-half year battle with cancer.

Fans were encouraged to wear gold to the game in honor of Hoyt, with some in the crowd wearing T-shirts with the message, "Do It For Mandy."

In the weekend before the game, there came additional tragic news that devastated the community further.

Twenty-year-old Jacob Johnson, a 2020 MHS graduate and the son of Keith and Amy Johnson of Glenfield, unexpectedly passed away while on a snowboarding trip in Montana.

Playing for the fighting spirit and passion of Hoyt, and all the lives that the young Johnson influenced positively with his presence, the Titans made the game as celebratory of an atmosphere for their honor as they could, but ultimately came up short, 51-50, to end their season.

"This woman means business"

Ever the feisty redhead, Mandy tackled her cancer battle the same way she approached every challenge, with grit, determination, fight, and even a bit of humor at times.

"Her heart and love for people left such a positive impact on hundreds," said her niece, Joslyn Hoyt, a first-grade teacher at Midkota Elementary. "She showed everyone how to love hard and freely because she was never guaranteed another day."

Born in Harvey in early April 1976, Mandy Baker moved around quite a bit until the age of seven, when her parents, Russell and Beryl, moved to Tolna.

She would translate that attitude to the basketball court, becoming a varsity contributor in eighth grade for the Trojans and eventually becoming an All-State player her senior year.

That season was special for both Mandy and Tolna/Dakota Prairie, as they made the Class B Girls' Basketball Tournament in 1993, finishing fifth.

"Mandy created long-lasting friendships with her teammates as well as her opponents," Joslyn said.

She met her future husband, Ryan Hoyt, in 2003, and were married on October 8, 2005. Together, they raised two daughters, Harlie, now 12, and Logan, 10.

"They were, and still are, her biggest blessings, along with her friends," noted Joslyn. "She would always put her two girls and Ryan before anything else."

In fact, her fight for life was so strong, Mandy continued to attend her girls' events up to two weeks before she passed away.

"That just shows the true testament of how much her family meant to her," Joslyn said.

Being a people person, Mandy had a list "a mile long" of people she knew and would call her friends.

Joslyn recalled a story of her aunt's tenacity in pressure situations.

"I was about eight years old, and we were at the lake," she says. "A family group of us took the pontoon out and got a little ways out from the dock when we discovered that something wasn't working right. We looked and looked, but couldn't figure out what was going on."

As it turned out, the boat motor had run out of gas, with no means of getting help.

That didn't stop Mandy, pregnant at the time, to tell the rest of the stranded riders, 'I'll just swim back to shore and get us help.'

"No matter what the circumstances may have been, she always showed determination, and was ready to help others if they needed it."

Her niece said of Mandy's personality, "If you had the chance to meet her for the first time, your impression would be, 'This woman means business.' She had the biggest heart for everyone, but wasn't afraid to put people in their place and share her opinion."

"Mandy would probably give you some one-liner that would open a conversation for hours," Joslyn laughed.

When the time came for Joslyn to take the court as a Midkota Mustang, her aunt was always in her corner, as well as everybody else's.

"She was the biggest cheerleader and support system for the Midkota community," said Joslyn. "I would often see Mandy and her family in the stands at most of my games. She was always ready to listen to the keys of the game, and would give her two cents as well."

She was employed at Farmers and Merchants State Bank of Tolna until her cancer left her unable to work.

Post-diagnosis, she embarked on a very ambitious bucket list. She took Ryan and the girls to Nashville with the Jack and Jill Foundation, and also to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., as part of an Inheritance of Hope trip. She also swam with dolphins in the Caribbean.

"Through those years, she experienced disappointment, praise, hope, and many highs and lows, but one thing you never saw or heard from her was the question, 'Why me?'" Joslyn said. "She turned to her faith, and whenever she wouldn't get the news she had hoped for, she would say, 'The big man upstairs has a plan bigger than I can control.'"

The family wishes to thank the G-M fans and community for standing behind Mandy and her family throughout their entire fight.

"There's no better feeling than when a community comes together to show their support and love for this amazing role model who showed up for others her entire 45 years of life," concluded Joslyn. "Our hearts are filled with so much joy from the support."

Funeral services for Mandy Hoyt were held Friday, March 11, at American Lutheran Church in Tolna.

"Hardworking and protective"

The fun-loving, conscientious Johnson had a very wicked sense of humor, his parents, Keith and Amy, said.

"Jacob was good at making people laugh," noted Amy. "He was always willing to help out whenever called upon, and was hardworking, protective, loved nothing more than his family, and was very supportive."

His hobbies were fitting for a North Dakota boy on the farm, with those including fishing, hunting, golfing, movies, going to the movies, jetskiing, snowboarding, spending time at the lake, stock trading, and spending time with his dog, Buck.

His girlfriend, Lexi Rushlow, was his best friend, said his parents, and "no matter what she wanted, he would support her no matter what it was."

During his high school years, Jacob played for the Midkota Mustangs basketball team up to their final year as an independent school team in 2020, his senior year, before the school joined the Griggs/Midkota co-op.

"He loved playing basketball, especially his senior year with his classmates," said Amy.

He was also involved in FBLA, Envirothon, Close-Up, prom committee, and summer basketball leagues, along with trap shooting.

Jacob always let his boisterous school spirit show, and Amy said he got "Fan of the Game" at a girls' volleyball match.

He got his welding certificate from Lynnes Welding Training in Fargo in December 2020, and his future plans were to take over the family farm while welding on the side.

Jacob was a loving older brother to his sisters, Josie and Kylie, though his mom said that he wasn't above the typical sibling shenanigans.

"He always knew what buttons to push with Josie, but no matter what, he would always have her back," she said. "And he and Kylie loved to pick on each other in a playful way. Kylie always had the best one-liners to make him chuckle."

The parental relationship was also never dull, as Amy says Jacob was always good for fun banter with his dad.

"They'd always try to get under each other's skin while trying to get laughs out of each other," she said. "And he would always stick up for me and would have a hug for me whenever I needed it."

"He would even take me fishing, because he knew I loved that."

The Johnsons say they are in awe of the support given by their Midkota family.

"We're grateful for all of it," Amy concluded. "Seeing all the lives Jacob has touched has brought us comfort."

Jacob's visitation will be held Friday, March 18, from 5 p.m.-7 p.m. at Prairie Faith Church in Glenfield, followed by a Prayer Service at 7 p.m. His funeral service will be held Saturday, March 19, at 2 p.m. at Prairie Faith Church.