James Marshall Sitting Eagle

James Marshall Sitting Eagle, 72, of Eagle Butte, began his spiritual journey the afternoon of Sunday, September 14, 2025, at his home.

Funeral services will be 11:00 a.m. MDT, Friday, September 26, 2025, at Pioneer Hall, Dupree. A wake service will be 7:00 p.m., Thursday, September 25, 2025, at the hall with visitation one hour prior.

Always laughing, joking and teasing, James “Jim” entered this world FEET FIRST, a Blue Baby they called him.  Jim was born Walter James Gillespie at the Old Cheyenne Agency on May 15, 1953, to Arlene M. Mestes, Mnicoujou/Oglala enrolled CRST and Walter Dean Gillespie, Oglala/Northern Cheyenne, enrolled Oglala Sioux Tribe. Jim was then enrolled as a CRST member of the Mnicoujou band.

When Jim was two years old, his mother Arlene married the love of her life, Ray L. Marshall, who was in the Army and then Air Force.  They began calling him Jim Marshall and the name stuck throughout his life.  Jim was raised in Utah, Nevada, Germany, New Mexico, California, and on the Cheyenne River Reservation in South Dakota.

Jim completed first through sixth grade at a Catholic Parochial school in New Mexico and became an altar boy, with his family attending church to support him.

As a child Jim was living in Red Scaffold and while there, his maternal Aunt Ramon Mestes gave him a ukulele.  Jim spent his younger years with his maternal grandparents at their Ash Creek ranch home south of Dupree, where his Grandpa Ed Fisherman and Uncle Cheeto “Vernon” Mestes taught him to ride horses.  Jim was a natural musician and taught himself to play the guitar by age ten.  Jim played his first song, “El Paso”, all the way through. By the age of 15, Jim was flying in an airplane with his uncle Cheeto, Coke Chapman and Carve Thompson, to go play for country western dances. Jim also played the French horn, banjo, harmonica, electric guitars, piano and organ, but couldn’t read a note.

Jim graduated from C-EB High School in 1972, then spent time traveling, landing in California, playing in bands and making new friends.  It was there he began playing rock and roll, hard rock, and blues.  One of his favorite musicians was Jimi Hendrix and he could play like him, too.

Jim returned to CRST and in 1975 married the girl next door, his high school sweetheart, Karla K. Knight. They were blessed with three sons: Edward, Benjamin, and Daniel Marshall; and two daughters: Lowan Jeffries and Alisa Knight.

Jim’s life changed when he began to walk the Red Road, initially learning from Kenneth Young Bear, doing his first four days and nights hanblecha near Mandaree, ND. During this time, he received his great grandfather’s Lakota name “Sitting Eagle”.  Jim continued learning from Pete Catches and Sun Danced with others under Pete Catches in Little Eagle and for four years at Ash Creek, south of Dupree summers of 1981 – 1984.  Jim became a ceremony man himself and started the Kangi Yuha Society.  He encouraged many of his friends to walk in a spiritual manner and always helped those who came to him for spiritual guidance.

In his younger years Jim worked as a ranch hand and loved to ride horses.  He also rode broncs during high school rodeos.  He worked for the Cheyenne River Housing Authority for several years as a maintenance man while living in Dupree and raising his family.  In the early 1990s he moved to Rapid City, SD and was a stone carver at the Black Hills Foundry, Lakota Jewelry Visions, and did maintenance work for LaCrosse Estates and Willy’s Chain Saw in Rapid City, SD.

Jim was an adventurer, leader, reader, musician and artist. Jim spent his life creating beautiful, heartfelt art pieces in various mediums; tanning hides to make bags, bead work, pointillism art and acrylic paintings.  He spent years working with pipestone making prayer pipes and stems.  He also did a multitude of Alabaster stone carvings, some that sit in churches.  All of Jim’s artwork reflects his spiritual beliefs, dreams and visions.  Generous to a fault, he gave away much of his work to family, friends and even new acquaintances – his works of art are his legacy and will last for many generations to come.

Jim leaves behind his beloved mother, Arlene M. Marshall; sisters: Raylene M. Marshall, Carla Rae Marshall, hunka sister, Karen Jeffires (Ken Birkeland); hunka brother, Mitchell Zephier;  brother, Ray L. Marshall II;  sons: Ed, Ben (Winona) and Danny Marshall;  daughters: Lowan (Chris) Jeffries and Alisa (Bradley) Speker;  eighteen grandchildren; ten great grandchildren; maternal aunts: Ramona Flatoen and Shirley Rhine; maternal uncle, Orville Mestes; and many other relatives and friends, you all know who you are!  Jim loved you all.

Jim is preceded in heaven by his father, Walter Dean Gillespie; stepfather, Ray L. Marshall; maternal uncle, Vernon (Cheeto) Mestes; grandparents:  Frank Mestes, Carrie Fisherman and Edward Fisherman; great grandparents, Mary (Sitting Eagle) Bridwell, Oscar Bridwell; and great-great grandparents, Blue Ear Ring and Sitting Eagle.

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