HARROLD, SD – Miles Peter St. John, Sr. “Wambli Ho” Eagle Voice, 85, of Harrold, passed away Sunday, October 25, 2020 at his home peacefully in his sleep surrounded by his loved ones granting his last request.

Funeral Mass will be 10:00 a.m., Friday, October 30, 2020 at St. Catherine’s Hall at Big Bend. Burial will follow at the St. John Family Cemetery, Big Bend. Wake and Comfort services will be 3:00 to 7:00 p.m., Thursday, October 29, 2020 with a 3:30 p.m. wake, all at Pete’s home. The family request limited attendance to both services. Masks and social distancing are required.

Due to increasing COVID-19 Thursday’s Wake and Comfort services at his house will be open to immediate family, pallbearers & honorary pallbearers only.

Friday’s Mass, burial, and luncheon afterward at Church Hall is open to community but we will require COVID-19 precautions of masks, social distancing, elbows in place of hugs, hand sanitizer or washing and limited attendance be practiced to protect ALL of our precious family and friends.

“Pete” was born at his home in Big Bend, South Dakota to Solomon and Ruth (Sargent) St. John on December 16, 1934. He was the second oldest of five siblings. He grew up farming and ranching alongside his Dad and Grandpa Joe at Bid Bend, SD. He attended Hidden Valley Day School at Big Bend, SD, and Stephan Immaculate Conception High School graduating in 1954. He was an accomplished and competitive all-around athlete and bronc-rider. He loved sports, rodeos, and Indian relay events. Throughout his life he played, taught, and sponsored pow-wow, sporting and rodeo teams, and events. At age 65, his sister Bennie had him in canvas high top tennis shoes playing in basketball benefit.

Pete met Doris Heuer during high school, and they married November 1957 of which seven children were born of this union. He was always active, proud, and generous in the lives of his children and grandchildren. Family and friends were a very important and fulfilling everyday part of his life.

Pete was a carpenter by trade and an all-around handyman. He would jump right in to help repair or build anything you asked of him. He worked many years for the Pierre Indian School, Snow Construction of Pierre, Homestake Sawmill of Spearfish, SD, Wahpeton Indian School of Wahpeton, ND and retired in 2005 to “home” at Big Bend, SD. He came out of retirement from 2006 to 2008 to serve as the Crow Creek Big Bend District Tribal Council Representative. During this time, he worked hard to follow his father’s longtime Tribal Council service legacy to serve the people and move the Tribe forward. He retained a remarkably accurate memory of local people, events, and Tribal history up until his passing that he shared with others throughout his life. During his retirement years he enjoyed traveling to visit his children and grandchildren, their events, Indian rodeos, horse races and pow-wows. He looked forward to meeting up with his old high school buddies that was termed “the old cowboy hat section” to visit and reminisce.

Although Pete received numerous awards, honoring’s, and gifts of appreciation throughout his life he remained a simple, generous, and humble man to all who knew him. He was a “cut to the chase” and “tell you like it is” kind of person. Pete was honored In March of 2008 at the Dakota Oyate All Indian Tournament at Huron, SD and again, in December of 2008 at the Lakota Nation Invitational Tournament as one of the three surviving team members of Stephan Immaculate Conception High School all Indian traveling basketball team for “of the team winning oftenest in 10 years“ from 1952 to 1961 which the traveling basketball team was credited for the beginnings of the Dakota Oyate and LNI Tournaments continuing as a yearly event to this day. At the 2008 Dakota Oyate presentation Pete was given the original 1952 to 1961 traveling trophy for his participation and multiple awards as “All Tourney” and reminisced and displayed it proudly in honor of “his team that have gone on before me”.

He leaves cherished loving memories for his daughters: Bernice (Kent) Walz of Sioux Falls, SD; Arlene Black Bird of rural Swiftbird, SD; Dawn (Jim) Palmer of Belle Fourche, SD; Crystal St. John of Sioux Falls, SD; one son, Duane St. John of Sioux Falls, SD; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Pete was preceded in death by his parents, Solomon and Ruth St. John; his two sisters, Benedicta Steve and Yvonne St. John; his three brothers: Odell, Guy, Justin St. John, and two “Hunka” brothers, Dominic and Kearney Red Water; son, Miles Pete St. John, Jr “Tek”; one daughter, Debra Jo St. John; and numerous nephews, nieces and cousins.

Luze Funeral Home of Highmore has been entrusted with Pete’s arrangements. Visit www.familyfuneralhome.net

1. Add to favourites
2. Report abuse