Marguerite Eagle Staff, 1925-2022
Obituaries-Mobridge / Posted May 18, 2022 | 9:08 AM / 433 views
Funeral services for Marguerite Eagle Staff, 97, of Eagle Butte will be held on Friday, May 20, 2022 at 10:00 am MDT at the Eagle Butte Cultural Center. Burial under the direction of Kesling Funeral Home of Mobridge will take place at the Dupris Family Cemetery.
Marguerite Edna (Annis) Eagle Staff, “Kte’ Nila” was 97 years old as she began her journey on Sunday May 15, 2022, at home in Eagle Butte, SD. She was surrounded by her children and two granddaughters. Her parents were Mary (Molly) Dupris, and Floyd (Ford) Annis. She was the youngest of five children. Marguerite (mom) was born at home on the Big Cottonwood Creek and grew up in the Cherry Creek area.
Marguerite’s formal education began at Pierre Indian School. She attended the primary and middle school grades at PIS, most times spending her summers there. Her grandmother Emily Dupris and her mother would sometimes go to see her. She later attended the old Cheyenne Boarding School (grades 9-11), where she met my dad (Esau Eagle Staff) but decided to move to Eagle Butte, SD, where she graduated High School from Eagle Butte School, on May 18th, 1944. Mom married my dad and they lived on the Eagle Staff land for a while, but later moved to the Dupree area while dad worked for a Tribal Program. In the early 1950’s there was a program entitled the Relocation Program, of which mom and dad went to college at Springfield, SD. But mom didn’t complete her college program at that time. Upon completion of dad’s education, they moved back to Old Cheyenne Agency and they both worked in the dorms, during this time Old Cheyenne Agency was moved to Eagle Butte, SD. Marguerite worked in the girls dorm for a few years, while dad worked for Bureau of Affairs (BIA) in Land Operations. It was because of Dad’s job, they moved to Pine Ridge, SD. While living in Pine Ridge, mom worked for the BIA Social Services. By this time, they had six children, Tom, Donna (Jean), Bob, Darrel, Bill, and Suzanne. While living in Pine Ridge, mom was an emergency “caretaker” for children, especially babies. There were times the living room would be full of babies. She also worked part time at a grocery store in White Clay, Nebraska, her boss, teased her often, and said “it would never be stolen cause she watched it all the time”: Apparently they had problems with stealing. After living there for about 4 years, again, Dad’s job took them to Ft. Yates, ND. After settling there, mom got a job at the Standing Rock BIA school as a teacher aid. Mom was a woman of grace an courage, and a stubborn streak that would show up when she wanted something, like when she went back to college in her late 40’s.. Mom enrolled at the University of North Dakota (UND)in Grand Forks, ND and graduated with a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Education, in 1976. After graduation, she taught at the Standing Rock elementary teaching various grade levels. After 25 years of teaching, Mom retired in 1994. By this time dad had passed on, and so she made the “big move” back to the homelands of Cheyenne River.
As the result of Mom and Dad’s employment, we would joke that we theoretically followed the path of our ancestors; leaving Cheyenne River reservation and the new Agency at Eagle Butte, onto the Oglala Nation to work at the Pine Agency, then to Standing Rock Hunkpapa Nation to work at the Fort Yates Agency. A true nomadic family.
Marguerite (mom) is also remembered for her quick wit and could have you laughing. She even had transfusion nurses laughing when asked “how she was feeling?” mom replied, “with my fingers”! On her first double transfusion, she told the nurse that she was a “tough old bird” and that she would be walking out of the procedure room herself, she did. Mom also loved watching the Bachelorette, Gunsmoke, Cowboy Channel and game shows. She loved to make shawls and passed some of her techniques onto her daughters.
She is preceded in death by her husband, Esau E. Eagle Staff; her third eldest child, Robert Bruce, granddaughter Jessica Lee, grandson, Rodney H. Martin, her mother, Mary Dupris and father, Floyd Annis; her siblings; Eugenia Lucille Jean (Annis) Burgee, Jennie Elizabeth (Annis) Hunt, Delbert Frederick (Bud) Annis, and David Everett (Fat) Annis.
Marguerite is survived by her children: Thomas Ray, his wife Etheleen (Eddie); Donna Jean, Darrell Duane, Billy Dean, his wife Barbara, Suzanne Faye, and Donna’s Hunka’ Sister, Franda Flying Man. Grandchildren: Thomas C, Megan Rae, Francis E Eaglestaff, Ryan and Robert Martin; Gage and Salacia Jewett; Shanae and Scott Jetty; Stacey, Robin and Louis Eaglestaff; Dara Eaglestaff-Brewer and Turquoise Eaglestaff; Brian Thunder Hawk, Corey James; and Lance C and Wanbli Eaglestaff. Mom probably could not name all forty-two (42) great grandchildren and 1-great-great grandchild but they were all included in her prayers.