Funeral services for Robert “Bart” Ward, 50 of Eagle Butte, SD, will be at 11 AM, Thursday, August 13, 2026, at the Cheyenne Eagle Butte Auditorium. Burial will be at Mossman Cemetery under the direction of Kesling Funeral Home of Mobridge. Family and friends will be at the 4 mile junction at 4 PM Wednesday to process to All Saints Catholic Church in Eagle Butte for a prayer service at 7 PM. Bart passed away on August 4, 2026, at the Eagle Butte-IHS Hospital.

Robert Barton “Bart” Ward was born to Bill Ward, Sr. and Elaine Travresie Ward on March 11,1976, in Mobridge, SD. He was the youngest of Bill and Elaine’s five children, and if you asked Bart, he’d tell you they saved the best for last.

Bart attended school at Cheyenne Eagle Butte for 12 years, graduating in 1994. This is evidenced by the fact that he wrote or carved “Bart Ward #58″ or “BW 58″ on every available surface of the CEB Jr. High and High School: the walls, lockers, desks, bathrooms and locker rooms all bear his mark. He did not deviate from this practice for the entirety of his life; he made a deep and lasting mark everywhere he went and in the hearts of every person he met.

Bart and Jaime made it official during their senior year at C-EB. She was his only love and his partner in all things. After their graduation, Bart attended Black Hills State University for a time before returning home to await the birth of their first child, Shanee Mykel, who arrived just after Christmas, 1995. Shanee became the boss of her dad in every way and kept him wrapped around her finger for the rest of his days.

In 2000, Bart, Jaime and Shanee moved to Aberdeen so Jaime could attend college. Bart worked for Hub City Transit while Jaime attended classes. Bart took the lead on childcare and house work and cooking duties so Jaime could go to class and study. Bart taught Shanee the ropes in every respect as the first born. He had her doing dishes, cleaning, driving and doing ranch work at an age much earlier than most kids. The little family moved home in 2004 and were soon blessed by the birth of Charlee Jo in August, 2005. She was the prettiest baby. Her dad was in love all over again, and he suddenly had two girl bosses.

In 2005, Bart began ranching in earnest with his mom, Elaine, as they built their herds in joint operation. Times were lean during the first few years but Bart and Elaine made it work with grit, and try, and a pickup to pull hay bales to feed cows for three winters. They worked tirelessly to increase their operation, purchase equipment and improve the ranch headquarters for the next 20 years. He worked side by side with his children and Jaime in the ranching operation, always involving his family in every aspect of daily ranch work. He was assisted in his ranching endeavors by Mike and Terry O’Neal and Cody Dog Eagle who were always ready and willing to help. He raised outstanding angus beef cattle and was a successful, capable livestock operator.

During the intervening years, Bart worked for CRST Game Fish & Parks and Farlee Trenching & Backhoe. He was hired by the Bureau of Indian Education as a School Bus Driver for C-EB for 12 years. He was deeply loved and appreciated by every student that rode his bus and he returned that love; they were all his kids in his eyes. He was a safe person, a protector and a strong advocate for each and every one of them. There was a mutual fondness and appreciation between him and all the student athletes he transported to games and meets during his bus driving career. Bart was their biggest fan and supporter. His teasing kept them humble and his watchful eye kept them safe.

In 2014, the birth of their baby son, Kel Robert, completed Bart and Jaime’s family. To say Bart was a proud dad is an understatement. He finally had his little son and his family was perfect. Shanee nicknamed him Kel Bob and it stuck. Kel and his dad spent all their time playing with trucks, checking cows, jamming out and watching the Niners.

Bart had a penchant for anything old, western and rustic. He loved John Wayne, Lonesome Dove, old country tunes, old cowboy stories and western history. He studied about the days of the old cattle outfits and old-time horsemen. Bart lived for football season, both professional and collegiate. Football games were truly a family event in Bart’s house. And as much as he loved chili and frybread, he prohibited this meal on game days because he decided it was bad luck. When the 49ers lost the Superbowl by 3 points in 2024, Jaime made this particular meal and he was adamant that was the cause of the Niner’s downfall.

Bart spoke a second language of witty comebacks and teasing, fluently and unapologetically. He possessed a humor that was one of a kind. He was lovingly sarcastic. His sharp wit and lightening-fast comebacks kept everyone laughing, humble and on their toes. Bart had many talents. He could operate any type of heavy equipment with skill and precision. He could build a fence, a corral, a windbreak, a water line or set a tank all by himself with just a skid steer and his dog Chewey for help.

Bart was a very social person, he enjoyed gatherings and events because they allowed him to visit, tease and laugh. He loved outdoor activities like camping, fishing or just sitting around the fire pit telling stories and having a few. He loved football, movies, and music. He drove too fast sometimes and occasionally ran over a dog. He had a slight fondness for the Leeg. He loved to take long baths while listening to Girl Crush by Little Big Town on repeat. He liked Hawaiian shirts, cool sunglasses and expensive cowboy hats. He regularly indulged in his favorite pastime of arguing with Carmen. He loved his cows and doing ranch work with his right-hand man, Charlee Jo who was always by his side. He loved his dog, Chewbacca Dark Horses “Chewey” Ward. Chewey went with Bart on his daily rounds and could be found patrolling the perimeter wherever Bart was located.

He had a deep connection with his Traversie family. His aunts and uncles adored him. His many Traversie cousins were his best friends throughout his life. He was proud to say that he got along with every single one of them. If you know the family, you know that’s no small feat. He loved his mother with a fierceness and loyalty that was unmatched. He was the best son a mother could ask for right up to the moment she passed from this world.

Bart maintained strong and loving relationships with his siblings Bill, Kelly, Brady and Robin. He was on the phone with at least one of them and sometimes more, several times a day. He was deeply proud of his nieces and nephews, celebrating all of their accomplishments. Uncle Bart also handed out ass-chewings when necessary.

If you knew Bart early in his life, you might remember a smart-aleck or a hazard. If you knew him later on, you might remember a strong, capable man or a generous, protective provider. If you knew him well, you know that all of these might show up at any time or all at once. He wasn’t simple or easy or boring. He knew being a good man did not mean being spotless. He was honest about his mistakes and stuck around long enough to do better. He was dependable and showed up when you needed him. Bart was a man of his word and he kept his deals and his knots square.

Bart was the type of guy that loved his children and Jaime more than anything in this world. He was the type of guy you wanted on your team. He was the type of guy who could make you laugh when you were at your lowest. He was the type of guy who could inspire grown men to write poetry about him when he was only 3 years old. He was the type of guy that will never have an equal on this earth.

Over the span of his life, Bart worked for Mni Mart, CRST Game Fish & Parks, Farlee Trenching & Backhoe, Bureau of Indian Education C-EB Schools, and BIA Land Operations. Bart was employed in Federal service for 19 years. He served on the 20-1 School Board for 6 years.

Bart was proud to have been elected to the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Council in November 2024. He served in this capacity until the time of his passing. He was excited every day to go out the door to his committee meetings or to Council sessions. He was always looking for new and innovative ways to fix the issues that exist for our people. He had a no-nonsense approach to Tribal business because he was a get-it-done kind of guy.

He served as the Chairman of the Tribal Roads Committee, Chairman of the CRST Rodeo Committee, Vice-Chair of the Fair Board, Vice-Chair of the Education Committee. He was also served as a knowledgeable and productive contributing member of the following Tribal committees and boards: Tribal Land Committee, Election Board, Veteran’s Affairs Committee, TECA Committee, Cannabis Control Commission, Loan Committee, Human Services Committee, Tribal Projects Committee, Buffalo Board, Tax Committee, Claims Committee, and the CRST Indian Relay Committee.

Bart Ward, age 50, passed away suddenly and unexpectedly in the home his parents built on the Ward ranch north of Parade, SD on August 4, 2026. He didn’t enter the kingdom in the way he had planned or imagined: as an old man with a long memory and many, many years of life under his belt. No, that is not how he is leaving us. Instead, he crammed a massive amount of adventure, loss, jokes, difficulty, accomplishment, love and laughter into just 50 short, but powerful years. Bart was tougher and cooler than all of us gathered here to honor and remember his life.

Left behind to honor and remember him are his beloved spouse, Jaime, his daughters Shanee and Charlee, and his son Kel Robert. He is also survived by his siblings Bill (JoDonna) Ward, Kelly (Bo)Ward, Brady (Kim) Ward and Robin Ward-McCoy; his nieces and nephews, his father-in- law Mike O’Neal, his godsons Seth Stadel and Gus Colliflower, and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins.

Those waiting to welcome him home were his parents, Bill and Elaine Ward, his mother-in-law Carole O’Neal, all of his grandparents, and many aunts, uncles and cousins

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