Our Team
Watertown Branch
Jim Knudson
Jim was born and raised and currently resides on a farm north of Florence in Day County, with his wife of over 30 years, Cheryl. They have two children - Taylor and husband Jaiden Randall, and Will and wife Abby. They also have one grandson, Eli Randall.
Jim graduated from Florence High School and Lake Area Vo-Tech. After a few years in the grain elevator industry he started in the insurance business in 1992. Jim has experience in all areas of property and casualty insurance, especially commercial agriculture, farms and contractors. He believes insurance education is very important, as he attends continuing education seminars each year to maintain Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) designation.
Jim's free time is spent hunting, enjoying time at the lake, sightseeing, playing with his grandson and working on the family farm. He is a life-long member of the New Helgen Lutheran Church serving on numerous boards, and a board member of the Helgen Cemetery.
Amy Block
Amy is married to Chad and they have two sons, Cody and Hudson. Amy moved to Watertown in 1996 and worked for a locally owned manufacturing plant as a Sales Coordinator and in 2005 began her career with Puthoff Insurance. Amy obtained her CISR designation in 2010 and in 2018 earned the CISR Elite designation.
Amy served as the Women’s Bowling Association President for 6 years. She was actively involved with the Watertown Youth Soccer Association and helped raise money for local non-profit groups / organizations through the Change for a Charity events. She currently is a member of the Watertown Area PACH (People Against Child Hunger) Board.
In her free time, Amy enjoys spending time with family and friends.
Jerica Zemlicka
Jerica grew up on a farm north of Watertown. She is a Waverly-South Shore and South Dakota State University graduate. After a couple years teaching math, she joined Puthoff Insurance in 2023.
Jerica is engaged and will marry her fiancé, Brody, in the summer of 2024. In her free time, she likes to spend time with her family and friends, read, and do crafts.
Hartford Branch
Dave Puthoff
Dave was born in Humboldt, SD and graduated from West Central High School in 1980. He has lived in Hartford since 1984 with his wife, Kim, where they raised two daughters, Amy and Sara, and live with their dog, Skye. Dave has five grandchildren, Callen, Myka, Elliot, Boden and Everett.
Dave has been selling insurance in the Hartford area since 2000 and prior to that worked for 20 years at the John Deere Dealership in Humboldt, SD in the parts department and sales.
He is a member of the Knights of Columbus and is on St George Parish Cemetery committee and served 4 years on the Hartford Town Board and officiated High school basketball for 25 years.
Dave enjoys being with family as well as hunting and fishing.
Howard Branch
Mary Henkel
Mary is married to Robert, a self-employed farmer. They have four married daughters, Brenda and Tad Enck, Bonnie and Henry Wipf, Jennifer and Chip Carda, and Becky and Denver Albrecht. They also have 12 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren. They are members of St Agatha Catholic Church.
Her hobbies include sewing, yard work and spending time with her grandchildren. They keep her busy going to all their sports events!