Funeral Service for Opoganwin Celeste St John, "Leste", Opoganwin (Blows medicine through her mouth), 32, of Moorhead, MN will be held on Thursday, December 6, 2012 at 1:00 PM at the Tribal Community Center, Agency Village, SD with Spiritual Leader Tom Bullhead Officiating. The Drum group will be Dakota Nation. Pallbearers will be Richard "Opi" Defoe, Chaske St John, Mark Lassier, Todd St John, Donovan Keeble, Matt Thornhill, Marcus St John, Randy White, Shane Dumarce, and Lee St John. Honorary Pallbearers are Kellie Kluver, Darlene Zephier, Candy Almendarez, Rikki Yellowbird, Jessie Flores, Angie Thornhill, Vanessa Reyes, Sophie Wells, Carmen Snow, Cheryl Yellowbird, Allene Ross, Alison Welch, Aubrey Shankey, Laurelei Thompson, Jeanette Little Nest, Elizabeth Gayton, Evette Carrillo, Jackie Escobedo-Reinke, Tracy Castillo, Isabel Escobedo, Jessica Pena, Cynthia Alexander, and the Flandreau Indian School friends and family. Interment will be in the St. Matthews Catholic Cemetery, Veblen, SD. There will be wake services on Tuesday and Wednesday, at 7:00 PM at the Tribal Community Center, Agency Village, SD. Opoganwin was born on March 28, 1980 in Bemidji, MN to Robert and Andrea (Sigana) St John. She grew up and attended school in Moorhead, MN and graduated from Flandreau Indian School. She then attended the Model College of Hair Design in St. Cloud, MN. She worked in the hair design field until her health failed. Celeste loved to travel, attending pow-wows from the east coast to the west coast. She loved to draw, read, and loved to drive her car, and liked to spend time with her family and friends. She passed away suddenly on November 30, 2012 at a Fargo, ND Hospital.
Opoganwin is survived by her parents Robert and Andrea St John of Moorhead, MN, two daughters Nevaeh St John and Ysenia Arenal- St John of Moorhead, MN, three brothers, Richard Defoe of Red Lake, MN, Ohohshecha Defoe of Minneapolis, MN, and Andrew St John of Moorhead, MN, three sisters, Brooke Defoe of Red Lake, MN, Hupan Edith St John of Moorhead, MN, and Owidusnawastewin Esther St John of Moorhead, MN.
Opoganwin was preceded in death by her infant sister, and her maternal and paternal grandparents.