Marguerite Eagle Staff

Funeral services for Marguerite Eagle Staff, 97, of Eagle Butte were held Friday, May 20, 2022 at the Eagle Butte Cultural Center. Burial under the direction of Kesling Funeral Home of Mobridge was at the Dupris Family Cemetery.

Marguerite Edna (Annis) Eagle Staff (“Kte’ Nila”) passed away Sunday, May 15, 2022, at home 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 was born at home on Big Cottonwood Creek and grew up in the Cherry Creek area.

Marguerite attended the primary and middle school grades at Pierre Indian School, 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 Agency Boarding School (grades 9-11) and graduated from Eagle Butte High School on May 18, 1944.

She and Esau Eagle Staff married and lived on the Eagle Staff land for a while, but later moved to the Dupree area where Esau worked for a tribal program. In the early 1950’s the Relocation Program began, so they went to college at Springfield. They moved back to Old Cheyenne Agency. Marguerite worked in the girls dorm for a few years, while Esau worked for Bureau of Indian Affairs in Land Operations. They moved to Pine Ridge for Esau’s job.

While living in Pine Ridge, Marguerite worked for the BIA Social Services. She was an emergency “caretaker” for children, especially babies and worked part time at a grocery store in White Clay, NE.

By this time, they had six children: Tom, Donna “Jean,” Bob, Darrel, Bill, and Suzanne. After living there for about four years, Esau’s job took them to Ft. Yates, ND. There Marguerite worked for Standing Rock BIA School as a teacher aide.

She enrolled at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks at the age of 40 and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Education in 1976. She taught at Standing Rock Elementary. After 25 years of teaching she retired in 1994.

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 and father,; 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 (Eddie); Donna Jean, Darrell Duane, Billy Dean (Barbara), and Suzanne Faye; 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; 42 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.