Cordelia Dupris

Cordelia (Iron Lightning) Dupris, age 91, of Eagle Butte, passed away Wednesday, February 12, 2014 at her home in Eagle Butte.

Funeral services were held at 10:00 a.m. MST, Monday, February 17, 2014 at St. John’s Episcopal Church, Eagle Butte. Burial followed at the <> D <> Family Cemetery in Iron Lightning. Wake services were held at 7:00 p.m. MST, Sunday, February 16, 2014 with a procession from the 4 mile junction at 4:00 p.m.

Cordelia Iron Lightning Dupris Wayang Hipi Win “Came to see her” was born January 27, 1923 in the Fox Ridge area south of Eagle Butte, SD to Grant Sr. and Mollie (High Elk) Iron Lightning who were both members of the Hohwoju band of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. Cordelia was raised in a traditional Lakota speaking home where Lakota was the dominate language. The Iron Lightning family history includes participation in traditional life ways that were discouraged by the U.S. government and eventually limited to a fragmented process of daily life on a reservation. The Christian missionaries influenced the life styles found on the reservation. This chosen path led Cordelia to accepting her role as a dedicated member of the Episcopal Church. The first affiliated with the St. Luke’s Church in Iron Lightning and later with St. John’s in Eagle Butte.

Cordelia attended public school in rural Ziebach County at the Butler day school, she attended the school until the 6^th grade. She attended the Cheyenne Agency Boarding School thru the 11^th grade.

Cordelia met a tall handsome cowboy who was a descendent of the legendary Fred Dupris who was known for helping to save the buffalo from total extinction. Cordelia was married to Wilmer Dupris Sr. by a Justice of the Peace in Dupree, South Dakota on September 28, 1942. They took residence in Iron Lightning until the later 50’s when they moved to the John Stoval ranch located up the Moreau River near Flintrock Creek. This became the headquarters of the <> D <> Ranch. Cordelia spent her time between the ranch and her parents’ home located west of the Iron Lightning community, helping her parent’s until the passing of her Father and her Mother moving to the new agency headquarters in Eagle Butte. Wilmer and Cordelia had 10 children Barbara, Wilma Ramona (Deceased), Douglas, Casey (Deceased), Kermit, Wilmer Jr., Dana Q., Jacqueline Marie (Deceased), Carol, and Constance. Cordelia was a step-mother to David “Bud” Dupris (Deceased). The daily life ranch involved shared meals, gardening, ranch work and raising two handfuls of kids. Her kitchen was open to many neighborhood kids who came to visit and chose to stay on for extended visits. The ranch included a barn and corrals that became a gathering point for sandlot basketball games and make shift rodeos as the ranch livestock consisted of over 250 head of Hereford cattle and a couple hundred head of horses. The family tried their hands at raising bucking stock and later raced horses. The bucking horses were gathered from the Eunice Larabee and Sandy Frazier herds. John and Austin Stoval started the family in the Quarter Horse business. The only time Cordelia threatened to ride a horse was when the kids were in school at the BIA Boarding School and the Vietnam War called some of her “children” to fight in the war. A winter blizzard had set in and when no available help was to be found Cordelia put aside her housewife duties to become the only help (ranch hand) to be found for miles around. Luckily her brother-in-law Wilbur braved the snow storm to save the day.

Cordelia’s siblings are Florence Lafferty, Caroline Cook-Fiddler, Delores Hartfield, Amy Curley, Veronica Iron Lightning, John “Snoose”, Peter and Grant Jr. “Sonny”, and Dale.

An event that brought an end to the ranching lifestyle was the end of the rehabilitation era where most Lakota ranchers lost all of their livestock, farm machinery, riding tack and were forced to move from their tribal allotments to the agency headquarters or find employment off-reservation. The “relocation” era impacted families and soon the independent and productive rural communities lie empty of its inhabitants. Cordelia sought employment with her husband as they moved into her sister Florence’s home in Eagle Butte before eventually securing housing in the Meadowlark Hill Area on 50 Washington Street. In 1974 she was employed as a nurse’s aide at the local IHS Hospital and worked in some capacity until retiring in 1988. She was instrumental in the retention of the Lakota language and culture by working as a patient advocate for the fluent Lakota speaking patients.

After retiring, Cordelia learned how to do bead work from Andrea Rave and was soon noted for her sunburst pattern coin purses, medallion and bolo ties. As well as other beaded Lakota and western regalia. She also baked some delicious meals that were topped off with her special “poor cake” which was made with love. She continued to foster “her children” by taking and raising some grandchildren, starting with Baby Casey, and Calli, to Happy, Bearsey, and finally Squishey, just to name a few. Cordelia is the Grandma to 40 takojas, 89 Great Grandchildren, and 4 Great-Great Grandchildren. In addition to this she at some time cared for a total of 72 nieces and nephews.

Cordelia was a member of the “Winyan Omniciye”, a woman’s organization, American Legion Auxiliary Post 191, North American Indian Women’s Association, and was a loyal supporter of Veteran’s Organizations. Cordelia was chosen NAIWA “Woman of the Year” in 1997 for her dedication and commitment to promoting and strengthening awareness of Lakota culture.   

Cordelia’s belief in the Lakota traditions held firm when she completed the “hunka” process by adopting some special children and they are: Susie Payne, Steven Smith, Lloyd “Dana” Jensen (deceased), and John Bachman. She was a very special mother, aunt and grandmother to many people.

Cordelia lost her husband Wilmer Sr. on January 24, 1996 after 53 years of marriage. She lost 4 children: Wilma Ramona who died as an infant; Jacqueline Marie on February 2, 1968; David “Bud” on August 21, 2004, and; Casey “Big Casey” on July 22, 2007. Cordelia lost a daughter in-law Veltina Dupris recently on January 22, 2014. Cordelia received her last Holy Communion and comfort prayers only hours prior to her passing. She won her battle against breast cancer, endured brain surgery and multiple strokes and various other illnesses. She passed away at approximately 2:00 AM on February 12, 2014 surrounded by family.

Cordelia is survived by her sister Veronica Iron Lightning of Eagle Butte, SD;   sons: Douglas (Eleanor) Dupree Sr.; Dana (Wynema) Dupris of Iron Lightning, SD; Kermit (Nancy) Dupris of Eagle Butte, SD; Wilmer “Fred” Dupris of Fort Yates, ND; John (Lily) Bachman of Eagle Butte, SD, and; Stephen (Sarah) Smith of New York. Daughters: Barbara Dupris of Iron Lightning, SD; Carol (Tom) Knight of Eagle Butte, SD; Constance Dupris of Eagle Butte, SD and Susie (Steve) Payne of Sturgis, SD.

Luce Funeral Chapel is entrusted with Cordelia’s arrangements.