Funeral Service for Alberta Louvette DeCoteau Crawford, Ina yapi he cinca owas wic'ah inda wi'yan, Cares for her children, 79 of Agency Village, SD will be held on Thursday, September 17, 2020 at 11:00 A.M. at Goodwill Presbyterian Church, Agency Village, S D with Rev. Enright Bighorn Sr., CRE Jr. Heminger, CRE JC Crawford and CRE Mike Horned Eagle officiating. Pallbearers will be Theo Bobtail Bear, Vi Jay Crawford, Aydan Kirk, Jay Crawford, Patrick Deutsch Jr., Louie Johnson, Ric Bertsch, Courage Crawford, KK DeCoteau, Jesse DeCoteau, Brian Greybull, Furby Crawford, Kojak Heminger.   Honorary Pallbearers will be Dakota Presbyterian Women, Dakota Partnership, Dave Cornelius, Jake DeMarrias, All her Cousins, Phyllis Redday-Roberts, Louie & Hilda Garcia, Sharon Georgenson, Darlene Lefthand, Darlene Pipeboy, Rev. Hunter & Barb Keen, Dorthea Wilson, Sonny's kids, Clyde's kids, Dennis' kid, All the children she helped raise. Pianist will be Billy Kohl. Drum Group will be her grandsons, S-Town. Interment will be in the Goodwill Presbyterian Cemetery, Agency Village, SD. All night Wake Services will be on Tuesday and Wednesday at 7:00 P.M. at Goodwill Presbyterian Church, Agency Village, SD. The Cahill Funeral Chapel, Sisseton, SD is in charge of funeral arrangements.

Alberta was born on July 3, 1941 in Sisseton, SD to Norman H. and Rena F. (Heminger) DeCoteau. She attended Sisseton School and High School at St Mary's Episcopal Church School in Springfield, S D, where she met her best friend Lahoma Hamilton Johnson. She returned to Sisseton her senior year and graduated Sisseton high School Class of 1960. After graduation she met and married her soul mate Samuel V. Crawford Sr. at the Sisseton Wahpeton Wacipi. They met in July and were married on August 2, 1962 at Goodwill Presbyterian Church with Gerald and Rosella Heminger as witnesses and they were married by Rev. Howard Orcutt.   She joined Goodwill Presbyterian Church. Alberta was baptized at St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Veblen, SD. Following their marriage, she and her husband were station in Ft. Carson, CO, where their first daughter was born in Jan 1964. When her husband was discharged from the service, they returned to Sisseton, later relocating to Cleveland, Ohio on the Relocation Program where her husband attended school for welding. They later return to Sisseton and began their work in the church and devoting their time to the Church. Her husband became a Lay Pastor; this had the family moving to serve Church's in eastern Montana. They made their home in Ft. Kipp, Mt serving the Red Eagle Memorial Church, Riverside Church on the Ft. Peck Reservation. They later returned to Sisseton to serve the Area Presbyterian Church's the moved again to serve the Greenwood Hill Cedar Church's on the Yankton Reservation, after a year they returned and made their home and continued to serve the area churches. Their home was open to all who needed a place, her and her husband helped raise their nieces, nephew, cousins and were Foster Parent to over a 100 foster children, many who she still kept in touch with. After a long illness her husband Sam passed away in 1996. Alberta continued to serve her church as an Elder and Moderator for Dakota Presbytery & Womens Dakota Presbytery for many years and attended one semester at Cook Christian Theological Seminary School, in Tempe, AZ. Alberta suffered Pulmonary Hypertension for many years, this made her going to places difficult, traveling which she enjoyed and doing housework which she tried to do as much as possible She took her illness with stride knowing she was forever in the hands of her dear Lord, Jesus Christ, her everlasting faith was bestowed upon her children, encouraging us all to never give up have faith and to always be thankful and Pray, leave it all in God's hand. She loved her grandchildren, and great-grandchildren immensely, there was not anything she would do for them, and they all knew that, whether it was sitting and chatting with her or sitting on her lap they felt her love and caring.

Mother never had a fear of dying as she knew where she was going to see her husband and love ones again, who she missed so much. She left this world on Saturday, September 12, 2020 at 11:21 PM, with her loved ones by her side, it was heartbreaking to watch our Mother suffer and leave us, but we know someday we will reunite and what a day that will be, to be together again. She will always be loved and missed so much.

Alberta is survived by her five children, Lynette (Nona) Bobtail Bear, Danette (Nettie) Kirk, Samuel V. Crawford Jr. and Floyd (Leon) Crawford; siblings, Floyd & Sara DeCoteau, Albert "Buddy" DeCoteau, Norma "Sweet" DeCoteau grandchildren, Theo Bobtail Bear, Thea Bobrtail Bear, Vi Jay Crawford Kirk, Aydan Kirk, Samantha Crawford, Marley Mae Crawford, Shaylee Crawford, Samuel (Furby) Crawford, Floyd Crawford Jr, Emery Crawford; great grandchildren, TyAnne, Tyleeya, Tayden, Ziah, Aycia, Zade; her goddaughter Carrie Godfrey. Mothers Hunka Children & Grandchildren who she took under her wing and loved them just as much as her own, Morris Canku, Bill Canku, Todd Goodsell, Ron Redday, Kenny Seaboy Jr., Terry Looking Elk, Korry Bertsch, Brian Greybull, Les Bighorn, Mush Wells, and   Vonda Bighorn.

Alberta was preceded in death by her husband Sam Crawford Sr., daughter, Annette (Hopa) Crawford, her parents Norman and Rena (Heminger) DeCoteau, Grandparent Rev Albert and Ruth Wakeman Heminger and Joseph and Helen (Duggan) DeCoteau; brothers, Christopher (Sonny) Johnson, Clyde T. Johnson, Joe Bush DeCoteau, Dennis D. DeCoteau; one grandaughter Christine Rena Bobtaili Bear and one grandson Morley Kirk; son-in-laws Perry Bobtail Bear, and Fidel Kirk; and numerous other relatives.