Eileen Jeunesse

Eileen Jeunesse, 59, of Rapid City, an enrolled member of Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, passed away Monday, February 26, 2018 at Sunset Drive, a Prospera Community, Mandan, ND.

Funeral services were held at 12:00 p.m. MST, Tuesday, March 6, 2018 at the CRST Bingo Hall, Eagle Butte, with Rev. Carl Douglas presiding. Burial will follow at On The Tree Cemetery. An all-night wake will begin at 7:00 p.m., Sunday, March 4, 2018 at the Bingo Hall, with a procession from the 4-mile at 5:00 p.m.

Eileen Marie (Woody) Jeunesse was born to the union of Algernon and Melda (Useful Heart) Jeunesse. Eileen, loved and adored and aided in raising two of her grandsons, Douglas Calcari and D’Angelo Jeunesse, and two granddaughters, Debra Trudell and Samantha Flock. She had a total of 13 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren.

Eileen lived in Ft. Yates, ND, though she had lived in Rapid City, SD most of her life, yet she attended Wagner Public School and Stephan Indian School and later obtained her G.E.D. Eileen loved working as a community organizer. She helped at grass root levels by sitting on Head Start Advisory committees, helped orchestrate the development of Rapid City Community Action Team, helped provide leadership in community service with Smoke Signal Ministries, and also helped provide meals for the Water Protectors in Ft. Yates, ND. She went to work for the Youth Development Program from 1993 to 1996 and worked for the Black Hills Coleman Gold Company from 1997 to 2009. She was a strong, independent and loyal worker.

Eileen was a Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe member and took pride in her Lakota Culture; she loved teaching her children the Lakota Heritage and Lakota way of life. She humbly partook in Sundance ceremonies for four years. She also loved her Hunka sisters: Patty (Mickey) Pennington, Roxanne Sazue, Bertha Marks, Vicki Lambert, Mary (Kevin) Fast Horse, and Robin (Smokey) Bowen. She also loved sewing her sundance skirts and making shawls. She was a very talented woman,

She is survived by her four wonderful children: MelDina Jeunesse, Jeremy Trudell, LaSammie (Delray) Demery, and Michael LaJeunesse; 13 grandchildren; three great grandchildren; five sisters: Jaunita (Greg) Zephier, Madeline Jeunesse, Jenny LeBeau, Rita Shaving, and Sonja Shaving all of Eagle Butte, SD, Harriette Jeunesse of Fort Thompson, SD and Deb (Carl) Douglas of Rapid City, SD; and two elder aunts: Marge Clown and Rose BadHand.

Eileen was preceded in death by her parents, Algernon and Melda (Useful Heart) Jeunesse; one sister, Delores (Deebo) Mesteth; and two brothers, Algernon (Nero) Jeunesse and Floyd Useful Heart.

Luce Funeral Chapel of Eagle Butte has been entrusted with Eileen’s arrangements.