Edward Widow

Edward Widow, 91, of Dupree, passed away Monday, November 20, 2023, at Cheyenne River Health Center, Eagle Butte. 

Saturday, December 2, 2023, a Cowboys Tribute

12:00 p.m. - Gathering at the 4-mile, with a wagon escort and horseback riders to the CRST Fairgrounds. The wagon will escort Ed into the rodeo arena for a final grand entry and memorial bronc ride, a luncheon will follow. 

4:00 p.m. - the wagon will escort Ed with military escorts to the CRST Bingo Hall for wake services. A Lakota service with hymns, gospel singers and music are welcomed, supper to follow. 

Sunday, December 3, 2023, Traditional Services 

5:00 a.m. – Sunrise Services and Breakfast

12:00 p.m. – Escort from CRST Bingo to his place of birth, Cherry Creek with military escort

             Horseback Escort into Cherry Creek atop the east entrance

            Mennonite services and LDS services and traditional services to follow at the Cherry Creek Gym, as Ed is a pipe carrier.

            Honor guard by Sundance warriors 

Monday, December 4, 2023, Services at Cherry Creek Gym followed by Burial at St. Mark’s 

5:00 a.m. – Sunrise Services and Breakfast at Cherry Creek Gym

10:00 a.m. – Last viewing and services at Cherry Creek Gym  

11:00 a.m. - Transport to Ed’s home, pray, and onto Rt 13 Junction to Cemetery to be laid to rest by his true love, Delma. At Rt 13 Junction there will be ATV and Utility Vehicle Escort to gravesite with military honors. 

The family has been grateful to share their Patriarch with the people and are eternally grateful for all the help given. This old cowboy was grateful for all he had been given in this life. He took many years of removing each piece of his amazing journey on earth. 

Ed was most grateful for those aunties and cousins that gave him a childhood full of good memories. A rough and tough kid, running the ridges with his cousins, a time when there were no fences. He was grateful for all the neighbors and friends for providing a safe refuge for a young boy working for his pay, developing his dreams. With their help, he escaped the brutal boarding school experience. He learned to live within cultures. 

In Ed’s search for his dreams, he met and married his true love, and created a family. He leaves a legacy of five generations. The immense joy he experienced of being a Lala, was evident in the bestowing of nick names. One day, we counted including all the children of “Grandma Knight, Lala Charlie, and Uncle Teddy. He was amazed and overjoyed. He said to us, “There was a day when I had no one, and look at them now!” 

We were fortunate to have grandparents for our kids, as he was instrumental in guiding them appropriately, and according to Lakota customs. 

He had many visions and lived to see them continue to his last day on earth. He believed in the constitution of our tribe. Together with a team of cousins, and through the provisions of the constitution they were able to create and charter a livestock cooperative which remains in operation today. 

He enjoyed meetings and discussions on future investments for the people and their welfare. He was adamant about education, he wanted parents to have the right to choose where they send their children. Again, together with a team of cousins and good friends, a charter school was created and remains in operation, managed by his grandchildren. 

This was the beginning of his career in politics, where he remained on tribal council, setting the longest seated tribal council representative. He sought to bring change to tribal and state relations, by ensuring the tribe had the voice to be heard. In January 2022, during the Tribe State Address in the state capital, the Senator Troy Hunert and others gathered up with the tribal chairman and tribal council in attendance to sing happy birthday to him, seated on the front steps of the rotunda. He remained stoic through it all. Afterward, he had a tear and smiled. 

He dreamed of having a horse herd and cattle to sustain his family, so he did it. He dreamed of attending the Cheyenne Frontier Days, he did it, as a stock contractor. His horses were featured in the Indian National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, NV. “Al Kaldiilke” and Tughead”. He was proud of the fact he had the wildest, untamed horses. “The wilder, the better,” he said. World titles and go rounds won on these broncs. The athleticism of these Su’Wukan traveled to many states, showcasing the brand that bucks, Ash Creek born and bred. 

He developed a dismount on the right side of his horse to tie down a calf, resulting in his winning a buckle in 1964 and numerous other wins throughout the region within the SDRA. He developed an awesome team with Sullivan White Wolf. Starting a life of travel to rodeos and making beautiful memories and winning money. 

He also included his horse-trading abilities. He had a special love for horse sales, and breeding lines. He was treated well by those at Faith Livestock, Ft. Pierre Livestock, and Phillip Livestock. They gave him good fair prices, with a handshake too. Thank you. 

When he received a buckle for best stock contractor from the KC Longbrake Memorial Rodeo Community, he was surprised and remarked, “I like that, I’m a stock contractor.”

In his quest for spirituality, he gained many friends of many faiths, but he truly loved people for who they were. Ed respected them enough to stand and worship Heavenly Father with them. He attended the Church of Latter-Day Saints, the Mennonite Church, the United Church of Christ, the Episcopal Church, of which he enjoyed being a member of all. 

He received a pipe for a vision received by someone he never met but was directed to find him and give it to him. He was guided by Steve Charging Eagle, Tiwahe in caravanning together to receive the pipe. He was very grateful to the tiwahe and developed a strong bond with them. He was grateful to his son-in-law, Tom, for helping him take care of it and answering his questions regarding his pipe. 

The humility he felt at all the good tidings he had in his life would be conveyed in his nightly prayers. The joy and energy he received from his grandchildren brought him utmost joy and laughter. He was grateful to have a large legacy, all the way from a lonesome beginning. 

Thank you for providing him with an awesome life on earth. As this book of life on earth concludes, another begins again, with his beloved mom and wife in it!

Luce Funeral Home of Gettysburg has been entrusted with Ed’s arrangements.