Funeral Service for Amy Crawford, 82, of Agency Village, South Dakota will be held on Saturday, May 11, 2019 at 1:00PM at the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate Tribal Community Center, Agency Village, SD. Officiating will be Brother Mark Goldthorpe. Pianist will be Donna Murdock and Drum Group is Dakota Nation. Pallbearers are Jeremiah Jandreau, Will Crawford, Alec Erdrich, Aaron Erdrich, Joseph Erdrich, Christopher Schaller, Nicholas Schaller. Honorary Pallbearers will be Evelyn Pilcher, Carole Adams, Linda Crawford, Lydia Derby, Crystal Heminger, Mary Red Leaf, Ruth Houle, Donna Sitake, Delphine Wanna, Sonia MaGott, and Kathryn Akipa. Interment will be in the Sisseton Cemetery, Sisseton, SD. There will be Wake Service on Friday, May 10, 2019 at 7:00PM at the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate Tribal Community Center. Amy passed away on Monday, May 6, 2019 at Prairie Lakes Hospital in Watertown, SD. The Cahill Funeral Chapel, Sisseton, SD is in charge of funeral arrangements.

Amy Myra Crawford was born February 10, 1937 in Agency Village, Sisseton, South Dakota. Her parents were Mary White and Donald Gill, Sr. Amy was born to a single mother who had to do double the work to care for her children: Cyrus, Archie, Amy and Barbara. Amy grew up near Enemy Swim Lake and lived with relatives because they did not have their own home. Childhood was a difficult time for her. She often reminisced about her childhood meals. Perch was her favorite fish and perch eggs were a delicacy. She did not like mud hens. She grew up eating rabbit, skunk, all types of fish, turtles and berries from an island within Enemy Swim Lake. She went to Enemy Swim Day school. Amy was a first language Dakota speaker and she had to learn English as a second grader at 8 years old. She loved school because she loved to learn. She was always afraid of the teachers because they would hit their hands with rulers when they disobeyed, even in the slightest. When she was in middle school, her mother found a job with IHS as a cook. They moved to Sisseton and for the first time they had their own home! It was a one room apartment, but she said it felt like a palace and it was their very own place. Middle school and high school in Sisseton was socially very cruel and traumatic for her. She was bullied and shamed by the non-native students for allegedly having "nits, lice and being dirty" and was often called "squaw." In gym class the boys refused to hold her hand so the teacher always held her hand. Despite all this, she loved learning and did very well academically. She was kind to all people. She was very shocked to be nominated as a homecoming princess in her senior year of high school.

When Amy was 19 years old she met and married Franklin Crawford. He was known to be a hard worker and had a fancy car, which, he did but she also said he had a beautiful smile. They had six children: Bryan, Debbie, Lois, Teri, Evelyn and Charles. They made their home in Huron, SD. Franklin worked hard at a meat packing plant and Amy stayed home with the children. They lived on a tight budget and in a two bedroom house for 8 people. Amy made it a home with her kindness and home-made bread, home-made suppers and home-sewn curtains and children's clothes. When her children were all in school, Amy went back to school and became a respiratory therapist and worked at Huron Regional Hospital. Her mother came from Sisseton to live with the family and helped raise her children while she worked. In 1974, Amy was recruited to attend college at the University of South Dakota. It was a bi-lingual program where she was learning to be a teacher of our Dakota language in the schools. Unfortunately, the program ended, but Amy continued college with 6 children still at home. She completed her Bachelor's degree in 1978 in Sociology at Huron College in Huron, SD.

In November of 1976, Amy and several of her children were baptized in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. This was a pivotal moment in her life which changed her spiritual course forever--even, now in death. She loved all the teachings of Christ's church and often said the teachings were so simple, yet so beautiful. She began to feel a real love for Jesus Christ and our Father in Heaven. As she began to learn more about Christ and our Father, she could feel their love for her. She had a very spiritual experience after the death of her mother when she was in a state of depression and despair. Jesus Christ and her mother came to her and she felt the love of the Savior. She said His love permeated her every pore and cell--she could feel the love throughout her body. She said it was a love more powerful than anything she felt here on earth. She came out of her depression and held that sacred experience close to her heart the rest of her life.

Amy and her family moved home to Sisseton in 1978. Sadly, her marriage to Franklin ended and they divorced. However, she quickly found a job with the SWO Child Protection Program as a case worker. She worked hard and eventually proved herself capable of being the CPP director. She worked with the Child Protection Program for 18 years. During this time she was also awarded Social Worker of the Year for the state of South Dakota. Despite the work being hard and involving difficult feelings for the families and children, she was always patient, kind and compassionate. That was her nature. It really was the essence of who Amy was. Whether it be at work or in her home, she was patient and kind. She made some of her best friends while working at CPP. Her co-workers were always laughing and made work crazy and fun for her. She then developed and was the director of Early Childhood Education program, where she worked for 12 years. She found this job less stressful, calmer, and with little or no crises and that was a better fit for her at that time. Amy retired when she was 74 years old. Amy gently and genuinely loved all people, and people loved her. She was especially loved and cherished by her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. One grandchild stated, "Grandma totally embodied the pure love of Christ."

She enjoyed the remainder of her life with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She attended many college graduations, weddings, birthday parties, gender reveal parties and many dinners out. Amy had 6 children, 20 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren.

Amy is survived by her six children, Bryan Akipa, Debbie Crawford, Lois Crawford, Teri Erdrich, Evelyn Akipa, Charles Crawford; grandchildren Jeremiah Jandreau, Sarah Crawford, Will Crawford, Rachelle Crawford, Simone Nielsen, Rachel Sine-Meyers, Camille Sine, Imogene Red Elk, Alec Erdrich, Aaron Erdrich, Joseph Erdrich, Jalina Erdrich, Nicholas Schaller, Christopher Schaller, Lauren Schaller-Sanderson, and Myra Akipa; eighteen great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandson; two sisters Delphine Wanna, and Donna Sitake.

Amy was preceded in death by her parents, three sisters Barbara Mendoza, Marcella Gill, and Janice Gill; seven brothers Cyrus White, Francis Gill, Fredrick Gill, Archie White, Gilbert Gill, Donald Gill II, and Gaylord Gill; three grandchildren Michael Erdrich, Emmy Poorman-Akipa, and Samuel Sine.

For Amy's obituary and on-line registry, please visit www.cahillfuneralchapel.com