Allen Adrian

Lion Allen (Al) J Adrian is a South Dakota resident who grew up  on a farm near Freeman. South Dakota and now resides in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.  He was reared on a dairy farm, attended Cottonwood  Country grade school  for eight years.  He graduated from Freeman High School in 1969.  After high school he joined the U S Marine Corps for four years.  He served in Vietnam for thirteen months and later was stationed at Camp Pendleton, Southern California.  After being discharged from the Marines, he continued his education at Freeman Junior College and Nettleton Business College with a associates degree in Accounting.  He joined the South Dakota  Air National Guard, he served in the Air  Guard for twenty-three years.  He retired  from the Air Guard in 1999, with twenty-nine years of military service.  In 2000, he started his own company  (Adrian Painting, LLC)  and currently works in the painting and decorating business.  He courted Cindy and eventually convinced her to marry him in 1975.  To this union, we have two children:  Rachel (husband Jeremy) and Lance.  Rachel, Jeremy and little Addison live in Missoula, Montana.  Lance is single and lives in Sioux Falls.      Lion Al joined the Siouxrise Lions in 1986, and is currently the District Governor Elect of 5SE.  He has served as a board member, 3rd  2nd lst Vice President, President  for two terms, secretary, newsletter editor, treasurer, zone chairman, region chairman,  MERLOW team member, Lions Foundation Board  Secretary, and vice district governor.  Lion Al has received the Lion of the Year Award twice,  The Henry Baker Fellowship, and was honored  with a Melvin  Jones Fellow in 1994.  Over the years he has attended many Fall Forums, MD5 Conventions, State Conventions and two International Conventions.      Lion Al has been active in the Sioux Falls community and has held offices in the church, PTA, Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts,  the Air Force Association,  the American Legion, and the Gideons.  Cindy and Al enjoy traveling through-out the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.  We really enjoy spending time with our daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter  in Missoula.  While in Missoula we love to hike in the Lolo Bitterroot National Forest area.  Al enjoys power walking and bicycling.  During the past twenty-three  years he has logged over 25,000 miles in walking – this is enough to have walked around the world with a few detours for a dairy queen or two.  I never met a dairy queen I did not like.