Tag: Tyler Plummer

HONORING A DONOR: DSU supporter Plummer’s likeness will grace Tournament of Roses Parade float

Courtesy Photo by Annika Plummer
A floragraph in the likeness of Tyler Plummer, a longtime supporter and volunteer for the Dickinson State wrestling team, stands on a table at the Lions Eye Bank in Bismarck on Dec. 18. The floragraph will appear on the Donate Life America float during the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, Calif., on New Year’s Day. Plummer died Jan. 25 of a heart condition. His corneas were donated to two people after his death.

Tyler Plummer was one of those people who was easy to like.

“He was someone who it didn’t matter if you knew him for a little bit of time or a lot of time, he made an impact and people just loved him,” said Annika Plummer, his wife.

Plummer continues to make an impact in people’s lives, almost a year after his untimely death.

The Dickinson State graduate and passionate supporter of the Blue Hawk wrestling team died on Jan. 25 at age 33. The Baker, Mont., native had battled cardiomyopathy, a heart muscle disease, since he was diagnosed with a heart infection as a 19-year-old DSU freshman.

In addition to being an avid wrestling fan and a cowboy whose claim to fame was his role as a stunt horse rider in the North Dakota-filmed movie “Wooly Boys,” Plummer was also an organ donor.

After his death, Plummer’s corneas were donated to the Lions Eye Bank of North Dakota. Today, there are two people whom Plummer’s family does not know who can see again because of his gift.

Continue reading “HONORING A DONOR: DSU supporter Plummer’s likeness will grace Tournament of Roses Parade float”

Dickinson State has lost a great athletic contributor with the passing of alumnus and volunteer Tyler Plummer

Tyler Plummer poses with his wife, Annika. Tyler died Wednesday of a massive heart attack. He was a tireless volunteer and supporter of Dickinson State athletics, particularly its wrestling and rodeo programs.

The Dickinson State wrestling team lost one of its biggest fans, supporters and volunteers Wednesday when Tyler Plummer, 33, passed away.

Though the Baker, Mont., native never wrestled for the Blue Hawks, he played an integral role in the program. DSU head coach Thadd O’Donnell said he did it all for free and for no other reason than he loved being a part of the team.

Plummer spent several years helping O’Donnell run his statistics programs, even designing a tournament program that DSU used for years, and keeping score at nearly every DSU wrestling event. He also played a role as a volunteer recruiter for the Blue Hawks. His biggest recruit? Three-time national champion and current DSU assistant coach Justin Schlecht.

Tyler also helped with DSU’s rodeo team. His wife, Annika, works in the school’s Ag Department and his sister, Jennifer Obrigewitch, is the rodeo team’s assistant coach.

One of Tyler’s greatest claims to fame was his stunt man role in the movie “Wooly Boys” that was filmed in the North Dakota Badlands. His job? Getting bucked off a horse in place of actor Joe Mazzello. O’Donnell said Tyler would love to tell people about his acting career and getting to hang out with the movie’s stars, Peter Fonda and Kris Kristofferson. You can catch a quick glimpse of Tyler’s work in the “Wooly Boys” trailer here. He gets bucked off at the 1:05 mark.

In Tyler Plummer, the southwest North Dakota community– not just DSU — lost a person who can not be replaced. Read more about him in his obituary.