Funeral Service for John Curtis Renville II, 75, of Lake Norden, SD will be held on Friday, September 28, 2012 at 10:00 AM at The Sisseton Wahpeton Community Center, Agency Village, SD with Tim Stead Spiritual Leader officiating. Music will be provided by Drum Groups. Pallbearers will be Jeremiah Renville, Joseph Brant, Hoksila Pipeboy, Tom Bartunek, Harvey Quinn, Henry Renville, and John Ortley. Honorary Pallbearers will be Elmer Feather, Class of 1956, Renville Relatives, Max Relatives, Guy Mackner, Robert Hull, Leroy Hellwig, friends & Delores Kemnitz. Interment will be in Renville Family Cemetery, Agency Village, SD. Wake Services will be held on Wednesday, and Thursday at 7:00 PM at the Sisseton Wahpeton Community Center, Agency Village, SD. John Renville passed into the spirit world at Prairie Lakes Hospital, Watertown, SD on September 24, 2012. He was a resident for seven years at the Lake Norden Care Center. John attended Long Hollow Day School before moving to Sisseton. He graduated from Sisseton High School in 1956. He was one of the first Native Americans to letter in basketball, football, and track. Sisseton remembers him for his feats on the basketball court. We, as his siblings always challenged him, sometimes we won. John attended Haskell Institute. He graduated from Sisseton Wahpeton Community College in 1986. John worked at Tiospa Zina Tribal School in Special education. He was very proud that he was able to work with a young boy who was blind. John continued with his education and worked on a Bachelor degree that he was four credits short of obtaining. He also attended Sinte Gleska, and he helped to build the cultural center there. John was a Dakota speaker and enjoyed talking to his many friends. His family was the center of his life. He enjoyed being with his children. His grand-daughter Saafire is a jingle dress dancer and was proud that she wanted to attend pow-wows with her parents. He liked to attend the 4th of July pow-wow and always told family that he would see them next year. John believed in the Dakota spiritual ways and he always prayed with tobacco, and told his son that he was glad he took part in the sundance this year. He was very proud when he got to see the baby of the family graduate from Watertown High School in 2005. As he travels to the spiritual world he takes all good memories of relatives, family, and friends.
John is survived by eight children, Kevin Renville of Clinton, TN, Carla and Donald Byrge of Clinton, TN, John, and Rose Ortley of Oklahoma, Jeremiah and Raven Renville of Watertown, SD, Ashley and Joseph Brant of Eden, SD, Lesley Renville of Watertown, SD, Henry Renville of Aberdeen, SD, and Lisa Ree-Lopez of Sacramento, CA, one sister, Darlene Pipeboy of Peever, SD, 14 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
John was preceded in death by his parents and several siblings.
For John's obituary and on-line registry please visit www.cahillfuneralchapel.com