Graveside Service will be held on Friday, April 22, 2022 at 11:00 A.M.  at St. Benedict's Cemetery, Sisseton, SD.

Funeral Mass for Lillian Germaine Owen, 96, of Sisseton, South Dakota will be held on Wednesday, January 26, 2022 at 10:30 A.M. at St. Peter's Catholic Church, Sisseton, SD with Rev. Fr. Gregg Frankman and Rev. Fr. Jerry Ranek Celebrants. Special music Butch Felix and Organist will be Billy Kohl and the drum group will be Toka Nuwan Singers. Pallbearers will be Matthew Barker, Reginald Doxtater Jr., Joshua Gill, Cameron Marks, Jonathan Massey, Joshua Max, Andrew Owen, Weston Quinn, Richard Stebbing IV, Dylan Doxtater, and Owen Quinn. Honorary Pallbearers will be June & Clayton Adams, Kathy Barse, Butch Felix, Bernadine Gaikowski, Charlotte Grey, Bertha Greeley, Beverly Halfaday, Gene & Deb Heminger, Bernice Johnson, Dr. Sherry Johnson, Jessie Larson, Jackie & Larry Lowe, Patricia Marks, Rita Marx, Donna O'Riley, Gary & Inez Owen, Phyllis & Harvey Quinn, Donna & Merle Red Bear, Valerie Rondell, Barbara Ryan, Teresa Thompson, Darlene Williams, Dakota Connection Bingo & Casino Friends & Employees, SWO Dakota Language Institute, SWC Dakota Revitalization Project and All Dakota Language Learners. A wake service will be held on Monday, January 24, 2022 at 7:00 P.M. and an all night wake on Tuesday, January 25, 2022 at 7:00 P.M. at St. Kateri Hall, Sisseton, SD. Cahill Funeral Chapel, Sisseton, SD is in charge of arrangements.

Lillian Germaine Owen, 96 years old of Sisseton, SD passed away on Wednesday January 19, 2022 in Sioux Falls, SD. She was surrounded by her loving daughters and many prayers from relatives as she made her peaceful journey to heaven.

Lillian was born November 4, 1925 in the hills of Heipa near Veblen, SD to Mary Williams Brown and John DeMarrais. She grew up in the hills of Sica Hollow where the family made their home. In 1934, at the age of 9 years, she went to Stephan Indian boarding school. She returned to the Tekakwitha Boarding School in 1938 and attended middle school at St. Peters in Sisseton, SD until 1941. In 1942, she returned to Stephan to attend High School where she was one of three students graduating in the class of 1946. After graduation Lillian went to work at the hospital in Portage, WI. with the sisters of the Devine Savior. In 1948 Lillian was united in marriage to Hiram C. Owen at St. Mary's Church in Beardsley, MN. They started their family and made their home in Aberdeen, SD where Hiram attended Teachers College at Northern State. In the early years of their marriage Hiram's teaching position took them to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation where they lived for 5 years. In 1957 Lillian and Hiram joined the Bureau of Indian Affairs Relocation Program and were sent to Chicago, Ill. Lillian worked for the Wrigley Gum Factory until she retired and the family moved home to the Lake Traverse Reservation in 1976 where they lived in the Waubay and Enemy Swim area. In 1978 Lillian was elected to the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Tribal Council representing the Enemy Swim District and served in this leadership position for 9 years. Lillian also held several other positions doing the work that she loved. She was a cook for the Enemy Swim Elderly, Assistant Cook for the Enemy Swim Day School where she was also recognized and honored as the School Kunsi where Danny Seaboy gave her the Dakota name "Waunsida Winyan." Lillian loved to travel and has visited many States while attending the Kateri Tekakwitha Church Conferences with her sisters and other family. The Catholic Church and her spirituality were her way of life. She loved singing and listening to the Dakota hymns and sharing her knowledge of the Dakota language, she was a fluent Dakota speaker and had a great respect for all those making the effort to learn the language. Her hobbies included reading, doing crossword puzzles, word search finds, playing bingo and trying her luck at the slot machines. She loved football and was a fan of the Chicago Bears, she enjoyed watching college football and college basketball especially Michigan State. She was a faithful Chicago Cubs fan and in 2016 she watched them win the World Series! Kunsi Lillian lived a long life and blessed are we that knew her. She loved her 9 children, her 41 grandchildren, her 128 great grandchildren, and her 31 great-great grandchildren. Kunsi Lillian was the matriarch of her Tiwahe and left a legacy of love to generations that will follow. Nina Woipda to all those who helped our mother. Dr. Judy and the nursing staff at Coteau Hospital, the doctors and nurses at Sanford Health Hospital in Sioux Falls, the SWO Tribal Police, Roberts County and Milbank ambulance service. Father Jerry and Father Greg and the St. Kateri Parish, the Cahill Funeral Chapel. All friends and relatives who have reached out to the family.

Lillian is survived by eight children, Denise (Richard) Stebbing of Rohnert Park, CA, Deborah (Randy) Adams of Kalamazoo, MI, Michelle Seaboy of Sisseton, SD, Michael Owen of Sisseton, SD, Candace (James) Ring of Garrett, KY, Crystal Owen of Sisseton, SD, Kelly Bashew of Meadow Brook, PA, and Jody (Cheryl) Owen of Waubay,   SD; three grandchildren that she raised, Dawn (Art) Skenadore of Oneida, WI, Stacey & Jared Wegleitner of Sisseton, SD and Lillian (Corie) Owen of Watertown, SD; 41 grandchildren; 128 great grandchildren and 31 great-great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

Lillian was preceded in death by her parents; husband Hiram; son Ron; brothers Wilfred and Thomas Brow; Walter DeMarrais; sisters Clara Eagle, Teresa Peters, Sr. Irene DeMarrais and Joyce DeMarrais; grandchildren Jessica Anderson, Hiram Owen, Aiyana and Kelsey England.