Cheryl Taken Alive - McLaughlin
Obituaries-Mobridge / Posted Nov 16, 2020 | 12:01 PM / 985 views
Will have combined Private family services for, Cheryl Taken Alive age 64 and Jesse “Jay” Taken Alive age 65 both of McLaughlin on Tuesday, December 22, 2020 at Kesling Funeral Home please join us 11:00 am for Live streaming of the services on Kesling Funeral Home Facebook Page. Interment will be Wednesday December 23, 2020 in the Crazy Walking Family Cemetery, rural Fort Yates, under the direction of Kesling Funeral Home. Cheryl passed away Wednesday, November 11, 2020 at Sanford Medical Center in Fargo, ND.
After forging a love story that lasted nearly 46 years, Cheryl Taken Alive, Anpao Tate Win, 64, and Jesse “Jay” Taken Alive, Niyake Yuza, 65, of McLaughlin, SD, passed away within 33 days of each other at Sanford Broadway Medical Center in Fargo, ND. Cheryl passed away on November 11, 2020, and Jay passed away on December 14, 2020. Immediate family-only, combined funeral services for Cheryl and Jay will be held at 11:00 a.m., CT, on Tuesday, December 22, 2020. A live stream broadcast of the services may be viewed on the Kesling Funeral Home Facebook page, and may be heard on KLND Radio. Interment will be on Wednesday, December 23, 2020, in the Crazy Walking Family Cemetery, rural Fort Yates, ND, under the direction of Kesling Funeral Home.
Cheryl Ann Walker was born on January 16, 1956, to Charles and Luella (Frank) Walker in Fort Yates, ND. She was raised on the family ranch at Walker Bottom in rural Fort Yates. She graduated from Fort Yates High School in 1974. She was crowned FYHS Homecoming Queen in 1973. Cheryl attended National Business College in Rapid City, SD, and Standing Rock College in Fort Yates where she earned a degree in Human Services. After being a full-time mother and homemaker, Cheryl put her degree to work by serving the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in several jobs, including the Standing Rock Treatment Program, until her medical retirement in 2011. Cheryl’s hard work, care, and compassion over the years positively-impacted numerous individuals and families across the Standing Rock Reservation.
Jesse “Jay” Brian Taken Alive was born on May 1, 1955, to Peter and Imogene (Helper) Taken Alive in Fort Yates, ND. He was raised in Little Eagle, SD, Bullhead, SD, Eagle Butte, SD, and Rapid City, SD. He graduated from Fort Yates High School in 1973. He was proud to have been a member of the Fort Yates Warriors boys basketball team that captured the North Dakota Class A State Championship in 1973. Jay attended Black Hills State University. A staunch advocate for education, Lakota language, Lakota culture, and sobriety, Jesse worked as a counselor at Standing Rock Treatment Program, and as an elected official. He was honored to serve as a member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Council for 24 years, including a term as Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Council Chairman from 1993 to 1997. His greatest passion was working with young people as an educator at schools in Little Eagle and McLaughlin. He worked tirelessly to preserve and enhance the Lakota language and culture on Standing Rock. He was also a staunch advocate of upholding Lakota treaties and treaty rights, and cherished his working relationship with all Oceti Sakowin communities. Until his passing, he had “the perfect job,” serving as a Lakota language and culture teacher at McLaughlin High School.
Cheryl and Jay were united in marriage on January 2, 1975, and made their first home in Spearfish, SD. Not long after, they moved home to Standing Rock Reservation to have and raise a family, and to be amongst family. To add to their lifetime story of love, they were blessed with five children—Ira, Nola, Carla, Jessie, and Jonas. To complete their love story, they were blessed with 7 granddaughters, 3 grandsons, 2 great grandsons, and 1 great granddaughter, all of whom they cherished and celebrated. Jay and Cheryl surely devoted their entire life together to the community, but family always came first. They attended nearly every one of their children’s and grandchildren’s music recitals, spelling bees, sporting events, and science fairs over the years. As well, they were supportive and proud of all young people in the community, and were humbled to be referred to as “Lala Jay and Grandma Cheryl” by all of them.
Jay and Cheryl maintained a steadfast faith in Wakan Tanka, and lived their life together in prayer and in service to humanity. They were honored to assist individuals and families with prayer and spiritual guidance. Jay and Cheryl rarely declined an invitation to assist with and attend Lakota naming ceremonies, mourning ceremonies, and comfort ceremonies. They loved the Lakota way of life and strived to embody Lakota values every day.
Cheryl loved sewing, cooking, baking, shopping, playing bingo, watching the Lifetime Movie Network, Gameshow Network, and the Food Network, and occasionally visiting the local casinos. Jay enjoyed attending sporting events at all the local high schools, singing and learning Lakota songs, helping people learn Lakota language, spending time in his tipi, playing piano, watching television news channels, refereeing high school basketball games, hosting programs on KLND Radio, and building and repairing things. Together, they loved traveling, going out to eat, camping, attending powwows, making new friends, visiting with friends and family, listening to music (with high volume), and hosting family dinners and gatherings.
Jay and Cheryl are survived by their children: Ira Taken Alive, Nola Taken Alive, and Carla (Dale) Taken Alive, all of McLaughlin; Jessie (Whitney) Rencountre of Rapid City, SD; and Jonas (Lillian) Taken Alive of Mobridge, SD. Their grandchildren: Gracey (Jerome), Jonah, Jaylee, Holly, Kiyela, Sophia, Bostin, Sadie, Jesse, and Mila. Their great grandchildren: Nolan, Maurice, and Opal. Cheryl’s brother, Martin (Mary) Walker, her sister-in-law Mary Beth Walker, and her brother-in-law Robert Harris, Sr. Jay’s siblings: Dave (Betty) Archambault, Wyman (Charlotte) Archambault, Virgil (Darlene) Taken Alive, sister-in-law Marsha Brave Thunder, Faith Taken Alive, Hank (Donna) Taken Alive, Ardyce Taken Alive, Leah Taken Alive, Robert Taken Alive, and Crawford (Juliana) Taken Alive. Jay and Cheryl are also survived by “Ina” Margaret Eaglestaff, numerous nephews and nieces, and countless “takozas.”
In addition to their huge extended family, Cheryl and Jay were loved and respected immensely by countless friends, many of whom they regarded as family.
Cheryl and Jay were preceded in death by their parents, Aunt Delores Taken Alive, Jay’s brothers Arthur Taken Alive, Sr. and Victor Brave Thunder, and Cheryl’s brothers Robert Walker, Ralph (Alice) Walker, and Arnold Walker, and her sister Wanda Harris.