Ronald Hayes, Sr.
November 4, 1946 ~ April 24, 2016
Ronald Hayes, Sr. 69, of Bear Soldier, SD, passed away, Sunday, April 24, 2016 at the Mobridge Regional Hospital.
Funeral services was held at 10:30 a.m. CST, Monday May 2, 2016 at Elkhorn Congregational Church, Little Eagle, with Pastor LeRoy Bobtail Bear presiding. Burial followed in the Elkhorn Congregational Church Cemetery. A wake service was held at 7:00 p.m., CST, Sunday, May 1, 2016 at the church. Wake services will be officiated by Lay Pastor Mike Kills Pretty Enemy Sr.,.
Ron was born at home along the Grand River in Little Eagle, S.D., to Marie Eleanor Hayes-Hanson. His father was Gene Traversie of Eagle Butte, S.D.
Ron grew up in Little Eagle and Cherry Creek, S.D., where his mother often stayed with his aunt, Leona Flying Bye and uncle, Rev. Moses Flying Bye.
He had many happy times fishing, riding horse, hunting and attending the many cultural and community activities that were held in Little Eagle and Cherry Creek.
He attended boarding school at St. Joseph’s Indian School and completed 8th grade. He did work and receive his General Education Diploma later in life.
At the age of 15, he moved with his mother to Hot Springs, S.D. In 1967, Ronnie joined the U.S. Navy. He served on the U.S.S. Enterprise.
After his service in the Navy, he married Patricia Morrison on Feb. 6, 1968. This union was blessed with the following children: David Morrison, (Nadine) Rapid City, S.D.; Ron Hayes Jr., (Dawn) Rapid City, S.D.; Jacqueline and Earlene Hayes, Rapid City, S.D.
Following his divorce from Pat, he lived in Custer, S.D., where he met Loretta Gunhammer in 1971. Loretta and Ron were together until 1985, when they parted ways.
He worked at various sawmills when he lived in Custer and notably he was there when the American Indian Movement riot happened and the Custer County Courthouse was burned to the ground. He had many stories to tell of this explosive time in Indian history in Custer, S.D.! Ron lived in Custer when the Rapid City flood happened in 1972.
He also lived for a brief time in Wagner, S.D. with his wife Loretta’s family. At that time, he worked on the building of the Pickstown Bridge.
In 1972, he moved to Rapid City with Loretta and his son Kevin, and they relocated back to Standing Rock in 1976. Ron worked at the Standing Rock Food Distribution Program as a Warehouse Worker and lived in McLaughlin, S.D., rearing his children.
From his union with Loretta he had five children: Kevin (Lesley), McLaughlin, S.D.; Peggy, (Ron) McLaughlin, S.D.; Darrell, (Harmony) Wagner, S.D.; Robin Gunhammer, McLaughlin, S.D., and Keith (Whitney) McLaughlin, S.D.
He also had a daughter, Angel Rosales, from a relationship with Rita Rosales, of Rapid City, S.D.
After Loretta returned to her homeland, the Yankton Reservation, in Wagner, S.D., Ron married Leslie Confer. During his marriage to Leslie, Ron worked at the Standing Rock MR&I Program as a Water Treatment worker. He also served on the Bear Soldier Planning Commission.
To this union with Leslie he had four children: Katherine Hayes, Bismarck, N.D., Lillian Parisien, Mobridge, S.D., Stella Hayes, Mobridge, S.D., and Gideon Hayes, McLaughlin, S.D.
On June 24, 2006, he married Shirley Englert and they bought a house in McLaughlin, where Ron set about enjoying a life of retirement.
One of the greatest joys he had after he retired was running the Nape Wast’e Food Pantry which was established in memory of his mother Marie Hayes, whose Indian name was Nape Wast’e Win. He received much satisfaction from distributing and delivering food to the people on Standing Rock.
He also received much satisfaction from running the One Spirit Homeless Shelter in McLaughlin. He and his brother Darrell Hayes said they knew what was like to be living on the streets and down on your luck and they believed in giving a helping hand up.
Ron also was the route driver for The Teton Times, the Indian newspaper that covers Standing Rock and Cheyenne River Reservations. He loved traveling throughout Standing Rock and Cheyenne River on his weekly route and did this route for 5 to six years.
In 2011, Ron experienced dizzy spells and was having issues with his balance. He thought it was a side-effect of Diabetes, which he had been recently diagnosed with. Following a trip to the hospital and running numerous tests, he learned he had Lymphoma of the brain.
He battled this cancer with rounds of Chemotherapy and Radiation Therapy and the treatments were successful, the tumors disappeared, but his years were numbered and he could not enjoy his newspaper delivery travels, his visits to the casino and his fishing trips as much as he used to.
His family is forever grateful to his daughter, Peggy Gunhammer, who set aside her life and returned to Standing Rock to care for her father in his last days.
Ron is survived by his children: Kevin Gunhammer, Peggy Gunhammer, Darrell Gunhammer, Robin Gunhammer, Keith Gunhammer, Katherine Hayes, Lillian and Justin Parisien, Stella Hayes, Gideon Hayes, Angel Rosales, David Morrison, Ron Hayes, Jr., Jacqueline Hayes, and Earlene Hayes; his brothers: Kenneth Horsely of McLaughlin, Michael Horsely of Gallup, N.M., and Walter Hanson of Eagle Butte; sisters: Janet Hale of Yankton, Avis Little Eagle of McLaughlin, and Naomi Folson, of McLaughlin; special Aunt Betty and Uncle Gerald Handley, Rapid City; Sister/Cousins: Cordelia Benoist and Faye Condon of Eagle Butte; Brother/Cousin, Russell Benoist of Eagle Butte; cousins: Sharon Black Bear, Garnette Black Bear, Maverick Black Bear, Debbie Bowker, Ivory Three Legs, Debbie Hayes, Reva Hayes, Sonny Hayes, Terry Hayes, LaVae Hayes, Sharon Hayes, Skoshie, Kim, Lori, David and Bobbie Jo Handley; special nephews: Logan and Louie Hayes, Anthony, Walter Jr. and Sam Hanson, Leslie Hanson Jr., and Loren Hanson, Gaylan Little Eagle Jr., Catlyn Little Eagle, Francis Janis, Blaze, Chante and Austin Thundershield, Vine and David Hayes, Grandon and Patrick Diver; nieces: Jaimie Rose Little Eagle, Akisha U Janis, Sarah and Sheila Diver, Amy, Ayla and Anetha Thundershield, Priscilla, Prudence and Antoinette Hanson, Xia American Horse, Manila Thomas; numerous grandchildren and one great grandson, Shiloh Allen Ocean.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Marie Eleanor Hanson; his father, Gene Traversie; sister, Norma Jean Folson; brothers: Michael Steven Hayes, Leslie Hanson, Darrell Hayes, and Waldron Philip Hayes; grandfather, Gideon Hayes; grandmother, Lula Hayes; uncles: Raymond, Larry and Robert Hayes; aunts: Helen Black Bear, Leona Flying Bye, and Darlene Hayes; and nephews: Eric, Joseph and Evan Thundershield.
Luce Funeral Chapel of Eagle Butte has been entrusted with Ronald’s arrangements.
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Beloved. Brother, Uncle, Papa. Will be greatly missed by all but n our hearts you shall remaintill we meet again Ciye, mayGod holld you in the palm of his hands- yahoo or lil sis Naomi