LEMMON, SD – Curtis Rave, 82, of Lemmon, SD, passed away Sunday, March 29, 2026, at the Five Counties Nursing Home, Lemmon.
Funeral services will be 10:00 a.m. MDT, Thursday, April 9, 2026, at Spencer Memorial Presbyterian Church, Lemmon, SD with Carolyn Petik presiding. A second service will be 11:00 a.m., Friday, April 10, 2026, at St. John’s Episcopal Church, Eagle Butte. Burial will follow in the Green Grass Cemetery, Green Grass, SD.
Curtis Peter Rave was born on August 10, 1943, in Albert Lea, Minnesota, to Curtis and Helene (Dupris) Rave, joining his sister Merle. In 1944, Marie (Fifi) was born, and in 1946, his little brother Austin joined the family. His mother later returned home to Poor Buffalo Ranch along the Moreau River on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation in South Dakota.
Curtis’s childhood nickname was “Popsie.” He was one of the Poor Buffalo–Dupris grandchildren, cherished and loved by his Grandma Mabel Poor Buffalo Dupris and her sisters, Eliza and Sarah. Popsie was one of the luckiest grandchildren because while the older kids went back to school, he and Austin remained with their grandmothers. Summers and holidays meant family gatherings and freedom for the grandchildren, as they left Old Agency town life behind for the adventures of ranch life and the teachings of the grandmothers. The closeness of the Poor Buffalo–Dupris grandchildren was akin to the bonds of siblings.
The family had a collective goal for his future: that he would grow up in a safe, protective environment. In 1954, Curtis went to live in the South Dakota residential program for the developmentally delayed in Redfield, where he spent 28 years as a resident. In 1982, Curtis moved from Redfield to Lemmon and became part of the LIVE Center, Inc. family.
Throughout his 44 years in Lemmon, Curtis worked several community jobs, including at the grocery store, the Steak House, Water Hole #3, Palace Theater, Lemmon Livestock, and Lil Feller, just to name a few. Curtis also worked on LIVE Center’s lawn crew and for Wheeler Manufacturing in LIVE Center’s workshop for 35 years before retiring in 2020. He still loved to come down to the workshop afterward to visit with his friends and just to say “hi.”
Curtis was a jokester. He loved to tease others and did so with love. He was a social butterfly and was always up for anything. In his younger years, Curtis traveled all over the country. He attended NASCAR races and professional football games in different parts of the country, Dukes of Hazzard festivals in the South, the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee (more than once), and Branson, Missouri, during Christmastime to view the lights and listen to country music concerts. He also visited the New England states in the fall to see the beautiful colors. Curtis had the opportunity to see many parts of the country that most people only dream about.
He loved a good rodeo and supported the Lemmon High School Cowboys and Cowgirls. He enjoyed watching Lemmon sports teams, no matter the sport, and especially loved when one of the LIVE Center staff’s children was playing. Curtis was known to stand proudly at basketball games and sing the national anthem. One of the LHS boys’ basketball coaches even named a play the “Curtis Rave.”
Curtis loved socializing around the town of Lemmon. He knew many people, and it seemed like everyone knew him. He loved music and enjoyed singing with bands at community events. “Your Cheating Heart” was a favorite. He was even known to go on stage, grab the microphone, and sing for the crowd on occasion.
Curtis’s faith was important to him. He attended Evangelical Lutheran Church for many years but later began attending Spencer Presbyterian Church so he could worship with his friends. Curtis’s Native American culture was also very important to him. He enjoyed attending powwows, and when it became too difficult for him to travel, he watched them on TV and listened to powwow music on his iPad.
Curtis loved to keep things interesting, and there was never a dull moment when he was around. He loved to make people laugh and was a deeply caring person. He always wanted to ensure that everyone was okay. Curtis’s smile and laughter will be missed by his LIVE Center family in Lemmon.
Curtis’s Lakota family is extremely grateful to the LIVE Center and the community of Lemmon for their love, genuine friendship, acceptance, and support. He truly lived a simple but blessed life among his adopted family, friends, and neighbors. Thank you to the generations of young people in the Lemmon School System who acknowledged him as one of the biggest Cowboy fans.
As we reflect upon Curtis’s fulfilled life, we are reminded of Grandma Mabel’s teaching: Imperfection is not to be shunned, because those born with imperfections are to be cherished, prayed for, and helped. They carry the burden of imperfection so others do not have to. Help them, pray for them, love them, and help make their lives easier.
Curtis is survived by his three nieces: Kimberly Rave (Brady) and their children Jacque’, Hoss, and Erin; Heather Clausen Merriman (Buck) and her child Tyler and four grandchildren; and Brandy Povsha (Mike) and their children Nick and Ciana. He is also survived by two nephews, Royce Bayless and Marshall Rave, and their families, as well as his Lakota relatives.
He joins his mother and father; his sisters, Merle Bayless and Marie “Fifi” Clausen; his little brother, Austin Rave; his niece, Pierette Rave; and his grandchildren, Tate Claffey and Kilby Reynolds. He also joins his Poor Buffalo grandmothers—Mabel, Eliza, and Sarah—and his Lakota and Winnebago relatives.
Luce Funeral Home of Gettysburg has been entrusted with Curtis’ arrangements.

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