HILL CITY--Aaron Robert Grow, 42, of Hill City, S.D., died Saturday, Jan. 23, while working at the family ranch near Hill City. He was born Nov. 21, 1967, in Osmond, Neb., to Robert and Theresa Grow. He grew up in Kearney, NE, and graduated from Kearney High School in 1986. In 1992, he earned a bachelors degree in criminal justice and psychology from the University of Nebraska at Kearney. He was awarded a masters degree in community counseling from UNK in 2000 and was certified as a mental health practitioner. His career spanned McDonalds and Coleman Powermate in Kearney; and mental health professional occupations at various locations in Nebraska and South Dakota. From 2002-2004, he was a personal counselor at UNK; and he served as the multicultural student services counselor at Chadron State College during the 2004-2005 academic year. In 2005, he had the distinction of being accepted into the Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme (JET). Since September 2005, he has resided at the Mills Ranch near Hill City. His hobbies and interests included music, film, reading, financial investing, spirituality, hiking, fishing, and mountain climbing. He was a talented cartoonist and writer. In July 2008, he began the blog Money Talks at the Rapid City Journal. He was a regular contributor. Travels to Lithuania, Japan, Chile and Canada reflected and enhanced his appreciation for the cultures and peoples of the world. Honesty and open-mindedness were characteristics he both esteemed and modeled. He looked beyond the face value of things, avidly exploring alternative philosophies and models of expression. He said, The truth is more important than ideology. Being challenged by other points of view is one of my greatest passions. He enjoyed thought-provoking discussions on subjects ranging from politics and the paranormal to social customs and current events. He cherished his many loyal friendships. He also loved animals and nature, and among his fondest memories were the summers he spent with his grandparents at the family ranch in his beloved Black Hills. Survivors include his father and step-mother, Robert and Barbara Grow, of Beatrice, Neb.; his companion, Molly Albrecht, Rapid City; a step-brother, Robert Stwalley, La Porta, Iowa; a step-sister, Theresa Araujo, Overton, Neb. his aunt, Lynda Lee Fisher, Crawford, Neb. and his paternal grandmother, Corlee Mills, Crawford. He was preceded in death by his mother and his grandfather, Franklin Mills. Services will be at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 2, at the Little White Church in Hill City, with Rev. Ron Walker officiating. Burial will follow in the Hill City Cemetery. Memorials will be applied to the Little White Church Building Fund.