Iris Little Thunder, 1961-2021
Obituaries-Mobridge / Posted Apr 23, 2021 | 10:55 AM / 699 views
Iris Ruth Little Thunder (Tashina Ska Win) of Red Scaffold, South Dakota passed away peacefully in the night of April 22, 2021 in Spearfish, South Dakota. She was surrounded by her family and Northern Hills training staff.
A one-night wake will begin at 7:00 PM, Sunday, May 2, at St. John’s Episcopal Church, Eagle Butte, SD. Funeral Services will begin at 10:00 AM, Monday, May 3, at St. John’s Episcopal Church with Mother Ellen Huber and Deacon Harold Condon officiating. Traditional Lakota Service will be officiated by Blaine Little Thunder. Burial will follow at 3:00 PM at the Black Hills National Cemetery at Sturgis, SD.
Iris was born on August 6, 1961 in Faith, South Dakota to Gilbert and Eunice (Thunder Hoop) Little Thunder. Iris is the granddaughter of Joseph and Ida (Scatters Them) Little Thunder of Wanblee, South Dakota and Harry and Ruth (Yellow Hawk) Thunder Hoop of Red Scaffold.
Iris Ruth attended Red Scaffold Head Start in 1964, the year Head Start was first introduced to the Cheyenne River reservation to be a pilot program. Her Aunt Drucilla Widow was the bus driver transporting students in the backseat of her own vehicle and her Aunt Rose Thunder Hoop was the cook. She also developed a close friendship with Delight Halfred when she began attending Head Start. Iris Ruth then graduated Red Scaffold Head Start in 1966 and began First grade that Fall at Red Scaffold Day school. She enjoyed her school years alongside her dear friend Delight up until Third grade when she and Delight was split up into different classrooms. At that point, she then began staying home with her mother and Aunties and anything her siblings learned at school was taught to her at home.
Iris Ruth truly enjoyed attending powwows. She listened to powwow music both live and recorded and she would get up and dance with her shawl. She also taught many of her nephews and nieces how to dance as favorite pastime. Her favorite place to eat was Taco Johns, cake (especially birthday cake as whoever was with her enjoyed her singing “Happy Birthday” before eating any cake) and her drink was Diet 7Up with a straw. Babies and toddlers were also her favorite, she LOVED holding babies especially, she’d coo and giggle at them. She was your strong-willed girl always up for a car ride, eating out and shopping for sunglasses having countless designs up until her passing.
After her parents passed away, she entered Northern Hills Training Center in Spearfish, South Dakota where she worked as a Peace Rate Worker. Her job was getting rubber plugs and placing them into a plastic oval coin holder. Iris was employed for several years then retired in 2011. She gained many special lifelong friends during her time with Northern Hills.
Iris Ruth is survived by one brother, Harry Little Thunder, four sisters Delora (Mike) Marrowbone, Ida Little Thunder, Mia Little Thunder, and Olivia Little Thunder, sister cousin Glenda Thunder Hoop. Cousins Richard Charging Eagle, Geraldine (Harold) Condon, Valerie Charging Eagle, and Stephanie Charging Eagle. She was preceded in death by her parents Gilbert and Eunice (Thunder Hoop) Little Thunder, brother Kenneth Little Thunder, Aunties Drucilla Widow and Rose Thunder Hoop, Uncle Steven Charging Eagle and Auntie Lorraine Charging Eagle, niece Ruth Blair Marrowbone; cousin brothers Tom Charging Eagle and Aaron Widow.
Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Rooks Funeral Home of Eagle Butte, S