Ernest Wabasha
Ernest "Ernie" Wabasha age 83 of the Lower Sioux Community journeyed to the Spirit World surrounded by family and loved ones on Thursday, March 28, 2013 at the Redwood Area Hospital.
Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday at St. John's Catholic Church in Morton.
Visitation will begin at 5:00 p.m. Tuesday April 2, at the Lower Sioux Community Center and will continue until 9:30 a.m. Wednesday. Visitation will resume at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday at the church and continue until the time of the service. Interment is in St. Cornelia's Episcopal Cemetery. Online condolences may be sent at www.stephensfuneralservice.com. Stephens Funeral Service - Redwood Valley Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.
Ernest R. Wabasha was born September 2, 1929 to Florence Helen (Chase) and Henry B. Wabasha. He was baptized on December 25, 1929. He served in the US Navy during the Korean War. Following his honorable discharge in 1953, Ernie attended DeVry Technical Institute. Ernie was an electronic technician and worked in the Arctic Circle in 1956 on the DEW (Defensive Early Learning) Line. He worked for Honeywell for 25 years and for 10 years with McDonell Douglas Aircraft working on the Gemini and Mercury Aerospace Program. Ernie enjoyed fishing, bowling, and spending time with his family. He was very involved with his cultural events. In his earlier years, Ernie was active on many committees for the Lower Sioux and was the first Tribal Representative at Jackpot.
Ernie is survived by his wife Vernell of 57 years; daughter Theresa; son Leonard (significant other Chris); grandchildren: Cheyanne St. John, Forrest St. John, and Winona Wabasha; great granddaughter Inez St. John (Crow Dog); sister Vera Hutter; many nieces and nephews; and many special friends. He is preceded in death by his parents, and siblings America, George, Matthew, Mike, Veronica, Mary, and Ernestine.
∼Ernest Reginald Wabasha (Chief Wabasha VI)
(Canku waste wan ohnaya = He travels a good road)
(September 2, 1929 - March 28, 2013)
Ernest "Ernie" Wabasha, 83, of the Lower Sioux Community journeyed to the Spirit World surrounded by family and loved ones on Thursday, March 28, 2013 at the Redwood Area Hospital.
Ernest R. Wabasha was born September 2, 1929 to Florence Helen (Chase) and Henry Benjamin Wabasha (Wabasha V). He was baptized on December 25, 1929. His native american name is Canku waste wan ohnaya which means, He travels a good road.
He served in the US Navy during the Korean War. Following his honorable discharge in 1953, Ernie attended DeVry Technical Institute. Ernie was an electronic technician and worked in the Arctic Circle in 1956 on the DEW (Defensive Early Learning) Line. He worked for Honeywell for 25 years and for 10 years with McDonnell Douglas Aircraft working on the Gemini and Mercury Aerospace Program. Ernie enjoyed fishing, bowling, and spending time with his family. He was very involved with his cultural events. In his earlier years, Ernie was active on many committees for the Lower Sioux and was the first Tribal Representative at Jackpot.
Ernie is survived by his wife; Vernell of 57 years, a daughter; Theresa, one son; Leonard (significant other Chris), three grandchildren; Cheyanne St. John, Forrest St. John, and Winona Wabasha, a great-granddaughter Inez St. John (Crow Dog); a sister; Vera Hutter, many nieces and nephews; a huge family and many special friends.
He is preceded in death by his parents, and siblings Emmarica Wabasha-Larsen, George, Matthew, Mike, Veronica, Mary, and Ernestine.
Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday at St. John's Catholic Church in Morton.
Visitation will begin at 5:00 p.m. Tuesday April 2, at the Lower Sioux Community Center and will continue until 9:30 a.m. Wednesday. Visitation will resume at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday at the church and continue until the time of the service. Interment is in St. Cornelia's Episcopal Cemetery. Online condolences may be sent at stephensfuneralservice. Stephens Funeral Service - Redwood Valley Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.
***********************************************************
May your spirit soar gracefully upon the whispering breeze.--
May your joy run strong as the deepest sea. --
May your soul reach out to embrace the sky. --
May your heart guide you truly as the years go by. --
Until we meet again...
May the Creator hold you in the palm of his hand...
***********************************************************
Chief Ernest Wabasha
http://www.startribune.com/local/201147731.html
He carried down one of the most storied names in Dakota tribal history, but Ernest Wabasha never put on airs.
"He was a private person who never tooted his own horn," said Vernell (Drappeau) Wabasha, his wife of 57 years.
Wabasha, who served in the Korean War, worked as an electrical technician on Gemini and Mercury space rockets and negotiated with museums to repatriate and bury Dakota remains, died Thursday at a Redwood Falls, Minnesota hospital from congestive heart disease. He was 83.
He descended from a line of several Chiefs Wabasha — including the Mdewakanton leader forced to march into detainment at Fort Snelling and then exiled after the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862 despite saving more than 100 white captives.
"Whenever we met elders in Nebraska or the Dakotas," his wife said, "they would always shake his hand and say how honored they were to meet him. But he remained quiet, polite and strong — a quality leader and role model who will be missed."
One of nine siblings, Ernest Wabasha was sent away like many young Dakota of his era to a missionary-run boarding school in South Dakota. That's where he met Vernell. They were married Feb. 11, 1956, after his naval stint in Korea concluded. He scored in the top dozen of 600 electricians at Chicago's DeVry Institute and quickly landed a job in the Arctic Circle, working on defense systems during the Cold War.
"They say the first year of marriage is the toughest, so maybe that's why we were able to stay together 57 years — he was in the Arctic that first year," Vernell said with a chuckle.
Wabasha joined McDonnell Douglas Aircraft in St. Louis for 10 years, working on electrical panels for the space program. After living in Chicago and St. Louis, the Wabashas returned to Minnesota, where Ernest worked 25 years for Honeywell. In 1979, they moved back to the Lower Sioux Community in Morton, where Ernest served as the first tribal representative at Jackpot Junction Casino.
Throughout his life and during his retirement, Ernest relished Dakota cultural events and the tribal history to which he was so connected. On his mantel, he kept for years a pair of heavy iron shackles that his great-grandfather, Chief Wabasha III, wore during the forced march across the southwestern Minnesota plains in 1862.
When St. Paul opened a rebuilt Wabasha Street Bridge in 1998, Ernest Wabasha opened the ceremony with a Dakota prayer. The street, like the river town and county in southeastern Minnesota, carry his family name.
In 2000, when a Michigan museum returned a tattooed piece of a Dakota warrior's skin for reburial, Wabasha was on hand, saying: "It was a good ceremony, but there are many more [specimens] that are in museums and collections around the country so we still have work to do."
Said his son Leonard, the cultural resources director for the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community: "He was a kind, generous, humble man who was reserved in his nature and always treated everyone with dignity and respect."
In addition to his wife and son, Wabasha is survived by his daughter; Theresa Wabasha, also of Morton, Minnesota; a sister; Vera Hutter of Redwood Falls, Minnesota, three grandchildren; Cheyanne and Forrest St. John and Winona Wabasha, and a great-granddaughter; Inez St. John.
After an all-night wake at the Lower Sioux Community Center, Wabasha's visitation will continue at 10 a.m. Wednesday followed by a funeral service at St. John's Catholic Church in Morton. He will be buried at the nearby St. Cornelia's Episcopal Cemetery.
Ernest "Ernie" Wabasha age 83 of the Lower Sioux Community journeyed to the Spirit World surrounded by family and loved ones on Thursday, March 28, 2013 at the Redwood Area Hospital.
Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday at St. John's Catholic Church in Morton.
Visitation will begin at 5:00 p.m. Tuesday April 2, at the Lower Sioux Community Center and will continue until 9:30 a.m. Wednesday. Visitation will resume at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday at the church and continue until the time of the service. Interment is in St. Cornelia's Episcopal Cemetery. Online condolences may be sent at www.stephensfuneralservice.com. Stephens Funeral Service - Redwood Valley Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.
Ernest R. Wabasha was born September 2, 1929 to Florence Helen (Chase) and Henry B. Wabasha. He was baptized on December 25, 1929. He served in the US Navy during the Korean War. Following his honorable discharge in 1953, Ernie attended DeVry Technical Institute. Ernie was an electronic technician and worked in the Arctic Circle in 1956 on the DEW (Defensive Early Learning) Line. He worked for Honeywell for 25 years and for 10 years with McDonell Douglas Aircraft working on the Gemini and Mercury Aerospace Program. Ernie enjoyed fishing, bowling, and spending time with his family. He was very involved with his cultural events. In his earlier years, Ernie was active on many committees for the Lower Sioux and was the first Tribal Representative at Jackpot.
Ernie is survived by his wife Vernell of 57 years; daughter Theresa; son Leonard (significant other Chris); grandchildren: Cheyanne St. John, Forrest St. John, and Winona Wabasha; great granddaughter Inez St. John (Crow Dog); sister Vera Hutter; many nieces and nephews; and many special friends. He is preceded in death by his parents, and siblings America, George, Matthew, Mike, Veronica, Mary, and Ernestine.
∼Ernest Reginald Wabasha (Chief Wabasha VI)
(Canku waste wan ohnaya = He travels a good road)
(September 2, 1929 - March 28, 2013)
Ernest "Ernie" Wabasha, 83, of the Lower Sioux Community journeyed to the Spirit World surrounded by family and loved ones on Thursday, March 28, 2013 at the Redwood Area Hospital.
Ernest R. Wabasha was born September 2, 1929 to Florence Helen (Chase) and Henry Benjamin Wabasha (Wabasha V). He was baptized on December 25, 1929. His native american name is Canku waste wan ohnaya which means, He travels a good road.
He served in the US Navy during the Korean War. Following his honorable discharge in 1953, Ernie attended DeVry Technical Institute. Ernie was an electronic technician and worked in the Arctic Circle in 1956 on the DEW (Defensive Early Learning) Line. He worked for Honeywell for 25 years and for 10 years with McDonnell Douglas Aircraft working on the Gemini and Mercury Aerospace Program. Ernie enjoyed fishing, bowling, and spending time with his family. He was very involved with his cultural events. In his earlier years, Ernie was active on many committees for the Lower Sioux and was the first Tribal Representative at Jackpot.
Ernie is survived by his wife; Vernell of 57 years, a daughter; Theresa, one son; Leonard (significant other Chris), three grandchildren; Cheyanne St. John, Forrest St. John, and Winona Wabasha, a great-granddaughter Inez St. John (Crow Dog); a sister; Vera Hutter, many nieces and nephews; a huge family and many special friends.
He is preceded in death by his parents, and siblings Emmarica Wabasha-Larsen, George, Matthew, Mike, Veronica, Mary, and Ernestine.
Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday at St. John's Catholic Church in Morton.
Visitation will begin at 5:00 p.m. Tuesday April 2, at the Lower Sioux Community Center and will continue until 9:30 a.m. Wednesday. Visitation will resume at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday at the church and continue until the time of the service. Interment is in St. Cornelia's Episcopal Cemetery. Online condolences may be sent at stephensfuneralservice. Stephens Funeral Service - Redwood Valley Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.
***********************************************************
May your spirit soar gracefully upon the whispering breeze.--
May your joy run strong as the deepest sea. --
May your soul reach out to embrace the sky. --
May your heart guide you truly as the years go by. --
Until we meet again...
May the Creator hold you in the palm of his hand...
***********************************************************
Chief Ernest Wabasha
http://www.startribune.com/local/201147731.html
He carried down one of the most storied names in Dakota tribal history, but Ernest Wabasha never put on airs.
"He was a private person who never tooted his own horn," said Vernell (Drappeau) Wabasha, his wife of 57 years.
Wabasha, who served in the Korean War, worked as an electrical technician on Gemini and Mercury space rockets and negotiated with museums to repatriate and bury Dakota remains, died Thursday at a Redwood Falls, Minnesota hospital from congestive heart disease. He was 83.
He descended from a line of several Chiefs Wabasha — including the Mdewakanton leader forced to march into detainment at Fort Snelling and then exiled after the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862 despite saving more than 100 white captives.
"Whenever we met elders in Nebraska or the Dakotas," his wife said, "they would always shake his hand and say how honored they were to meet him. But he remained quiet, polite and strong — a quality leader and role model who will be missed."
One of nine siblings, Ernest Wabasha was sent away like many young Dakota of his era to a missionary-run boarding school in South Dakota. That's where he met Vernell. They were married Feb. 11, 1956, after his naval stint in Korea concluded. He scored in the top dozen of 600 electricians at Chicago's DeVry Institute and quickly landed a job in the Arctic Circle, working on defense systems during the Cold War.
"They say the first year of marriage is the toughest, so maybe that's why we were able to stay together 57 years — he was in the Arctic that first year," Vernell said with a chuckle.
Wabasha joined McDonnell Douglas Aircraft in St. Louis for 10 years, working on electrical panels for the space program. After living in Chicago and St. Louis, the Wabashas returned to Minnesota, where Ernest worked 25 years for Honeywell. In 1979, they moved back to the Lower Sioux Community in Morton, where Ernest served as the first tribal representative at Jackpot Junction Casino.
Throughout his life and during his retirement, Ernest relished Dakota cultural events and the tribal history to which he was so connected. On his mantel, he kept for years a pair of heavy iron shackles that his great-grandfather, Chief Wabasha III, wore during the forced march across the southwestern Minnesota plains in 1862.
When St. Paul opened a rebuilt Wabasha Street Bridge in 1998, Ernest Wabasha opened the ceremony with a Dakota prayer. The street, like the river town and county in southeastern Minnesota, carry his family name.
In 2000, when a Michigan museum returned a tattooed piece of a Dakota warrior's skin for reburial, Wabasha was on hand, saying: "It was a good ceremony, but there are many more [specimens] that are in museums and collections around the country so we still have work to do."
Said his son Leonard, the cultural resources director for the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community: "He was a kind, generous, humble man who was reserved in his nature and always treated everyone with dignity and respect."
In addition to his wife and son, Wabasha is survived by his daughter; Theresa Wabasha, also of Morton, Minnesota; a sister; Vera Hutter of Redwood Falls, Minnesota, three grandchildren; Cheyanne and Forrest St. John and Winona Wabasha, and a great-granddaughter; Inez St. John.
After an all-night wake at the Lower Sioux Community Center, Wabasha's visitation will continue at 10 a.m. Wednesday followed by a funeral service at St. John's Catholic Church in Morton. He will be buried at the nearby St. Cornelia's Episcopal Cemetery.
Ernest Wabasha
Ernest "Ernie" Wabasha age 83 of the Lower Sioux Community journeyed to the Spirit World surrounded by family and loved ones on Thursday, March 28, 2013 at the Redwood Area Hospital.
Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday at St. John's Catholic Church in Morton.
Visitation will begin at 5:00 p.m. Tuesday April 2, at the Lower Sioux Community Center and will continue until 9:30 a.m. Wednesday. Visitation will resume at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday at the church and continue until the time of the service. Interment is in St. Cornelia's Episcopal Cemetery. Online condolences may be sent at www.stephensfuneralservice.com. Stephens Funeral Service - Redwood Valley Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.
Ernest R. Wabasha was born September 2, 1929 to Florence Helen (Chase) and Henry B. Wabasha. He was baptized on December 25, 1929. He served in the US Navy during the Korean War. Following his honorable discharge in 1953, Ernie attended DeVry Technical Institute. Ernie was an electronic technician and worked in the Arctic Circle in 1956 on the DEW (Defensive Early Learning) Line. He worked for Honeywell for 25 years and for 10 years with McDonell Douglas Aircraft working on the Gemini and Mercury Aerospace Program. Ernie enjoyed fishing, bowling, and spending time with his family. He was very involved with his cultural events. In his earlier years, Ernie was active on many committees for the Lower Sioux and was the first Tribal Representative at Jackpot.
Ernie is survived by his wife Vernell of 57 years; daughter Theresa; son Leonard (significant other Chris); grandchildren: Cheyanne St. John, Forrest St. John, and Winona Wabasha; great granddaughter Inez St. John (Crow Dog); sister Vera Hutter; many nieces and nephews; and many special friends. He is preceded in death by his parents, and siblings America, George, Matthew, Mike, Veronica, Mary, and Ernestine.
∼Ernest Reginald Wabasha (Chief Wabasha VI)
(Canku waste wan ohnaya = He travels a good road)
(September 2, 1929 - March 28, 2013)
Ernest "Ernie" Wabasha, 83, of the Lower Sioux Community journeyed to the Spirit World surrounded by family and loved ones on Thursday, March 28, 2013 at the Redwood Area Hospital.
Ernest R. Wabasha was born September 2, 1929 to Florence Helen (Chase) and Henry Benjamin Wabasha (Wabasha V). He was baptized on December 25, 1929. His native american name is Canku waste wan ohnaya which means, He travels a good road.
He served in the US Navy during the Korean War. Following his honorable discharge in 1953, Ernie attended DeVry Technical Institute. Ernie was an electronic technician and worked in the Arctic Circle in 1956 on the DEW (Defensive Early Learning) Line. He worked for Honeywell for 25 years and for 10 years with McDonnell Douglas Aircraft working on the Gemini and Mercury Aerospace Program. Ernie enjoyed fishing, bowling, and spending time with his family. He was very involved with his cultural events. In his earlier years, Ernie was active on many committees for the Lower Sioux and was the first Tribal Representative at Jackpot.
Ernie is survived by his wife; Vernell of 57 years, a daughter; Theresa, one son; Leonard (significant other Chris), three grandchildren; Cheyanne St. John, Forrest St. John, and Winona Wabasha, a great-granddaughter Inez St. John (Crow Dog); a sister; Vera Hutter, many nieces and nephews; a huge family and many special friends.
He is preceded in death by his parents, and siblings Emmarica Wabasha-Larsen, George, Matthew, Mike, Veronica, Mary, and Ernestine.
Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday at St. John's Catholic Church in Morton.
Visitation will begin at 5:00 p.m. Tuesday April 2, at the Lower Sioux Community Center and will continue until 9:30 a.m. Wednesday. Visitation will resume at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday at the church and continue until the time of the service. Interment is in St. Cornelia's Episcopal Cemetery. Online condolences may be sent at stephensfuneralservice. Stephens Funeral Service - Redwood Valley Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.
***********************************************************
May your spirit soar gracefully upon the whispering breeze.--
May your joy run strong as the deepest sea. --
May your soul reach out to embrace the sky. --
May your heart guide you truly as the years go by. --
Until we meet again...
May the Creator hold you in the palm of his hand...
***********************************************************
Chief Ernest Wabasha
http://www.startribune.com/local/201147731.html
He carried down one of the most storied names in Dakota tribal history, but Ernest Wabasha never put on airs.
"He was a private person who never tooted his own horn," said Vernell (Drappeau) Wabasha, his wife of 57 years.
Wabasha, who served in the Korean War, worked as an electrical technician on Gemini and Mercury space rockets and negotiated with museums to repatriate and bury Dakota remains, died Thursday at a Redwood Falls, Minnesota hospital from congestive heart disease. He was 83.
He descended from a line of several Chiefs Wabasha — including the Mdewakanton leader forced to march into detainment at Fort Snelling and then exiled after the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862 despite saving more than 100 white captives.
"Whenever we met elders in Nebraska or the Dakotas," his wife said, "they would always shake his hand and say how honored they were to meet him. But he remained quiet, polite and strong — a quality leader and role model who will be missed."
One of nine siblings, Ernest Wabasha was sent away like many young Dakota of his era to a missionary-run boarding school in South Dakota. That's where he met Vernell. They were married Feb. 11, 1956, after his naval stint in Korea concluded. He scored in the top dozen of 600 electricians at Chicago's DeVry Institute and quickly landed a job in the Arctic Circle, working on defense systems during the Cold War.
"They say the first year of marriage is the toughest, so maybe that's why we were able to stay together 57 years — he was in the Arctic that first year," Vernell said with a chuckle.
Wabasha joined McDonnell Douglas Aircraft in St. Louis for 10 years, working on electrical panels for the space program. After living in Chicago and St. Louis, the Wabashas returned to Minnesota, where Ernest worked 25 years for Honeywell. In 1979, they moved back to the Lower Sioux Community in Morton, where Ernest served as the first tribal representative at Jackpot Junction Casino.
Throughout his life and during his retirement, Ernest relished Dakota cultural events and the tribal history to which he was so connected. On his mantel, he kept for years a pair of heavy iron shackles that his great-grandfather, Chief Wabasha III, wore during the forced march across the southwestern Minnesota plains in 1862.
When St. Paul opened a rebuilt Wabasha Street Bridge in 1998, Ernest Wabasha opened the ceremony with a Dakota prayer. The street, like the river town and county in southeastern Minnesota, carry his family name.
In 2000, when a Michigan museum returned a tattooed piece of a Dakota warrior's skin for reburial, Wabasha was on hand, saying: "It was a good ceremony, but there are many more [specimens] that are in museums and collections around the country so we still have work to do."
Said his son Leonard, the cultural resources director for the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community: "He was a kind, generous, humble man who was reserved in his nature and always treated everyone with dignity and respect."
In addition to his wife and son, Wabasha is survived by his daughter; Theresa Wabasha, also of Morton, Minnesota; a sister; Vera Hutter of Redwood Falls, Minnesota, three grandchildren; Cheyanne and Forrest St. John and Winona Wabasha, and a great-granddaughter; Inez St. John.
After an all-night wake at the Lower Sioux Community Center, Wabasha's visitation will continue at 10 a.m. Wednesday followed by a funeral service at St. John's Catholic Church in Morton. He will be buried at the nearby St. Cornelia's Episcopal Cemetery.
Ernest "Ernie" Wabasha age 83 of the Lower Sioux Community journeyed to the Spirit World surrounded by family and loved ones on Thursday, March 28, 2013 at the Redwood Area Hospital.
Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday at St. John's Catholic Church in Morton.
Visitation will begin at 5:00 p.m. Tuesday April 2, at the Lower Sioux Community Center and will continue until 9:30 a.m. Wednesday. Visitation will resume at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday at the church and continue until the time of the service. Interment is in St. Cornelia's Episcopal Cemetery. Online condolences may be sent at www.stephensfuneralservice.com. Stephens Funeral Service - Redwood Valley Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.
Ernest R. Wabasha was born September 2, 1929 to Florence Helen (Chase) and Henry B. Wabasha. He was baptized on December 25, 1929. He served in the US Navy during the Korean War. Following his honorable discharge in 1953, Ernie attended DeVry Technical Institute. Ernie was an electronic technician and worked in the Arctic Circle in 1956 on the DEW (Defensive Early Learning) Line. He worked for Honeywell for 25 years and for 10 years with McDonell Douglas Aircraft working on the Gemini and Mercury Aerospace Program. Ernie enjoyed fishing, bowling, and spending time with his family. He was very involved with his cultural events. In his earlier years, Ernie was active on many committees for the Lower Sioux and was the first Tribal Representative at Jackpot.
Ernie is survived by his wife Vernell of 57 years; daughter Theresa; son Leonard (significant other Chris); grandchildren: Cheyanne St. John, Forrest St. John, and Winona Wabasha; great granddaughter Inez St. John (Crow Dog); sister Vera Hutter; many nieces and nephews; and many special friends. He is preceded in death by his parents, and siblings America, George, Matthew, Mike, Veronica, Mary, and Ernestine.
∼Ernest Reginald Wabasha (Chief Wabasha VI)
(Canku waste wan ohnaya = He travels a good road)
(September 2, 1929 - March 28, 2013)
Ernest "Ernie" Wabasha, 83, of the Lower Sioux Community journeyed to the Spirit World surrounded by family and loved ones on Thursday, March 28, 2013 at the Redwood Area Hospital.
Ernest R. Wabasha was born September 2, 1929 to Florence Helen (Chase) and Henry Benjamin Wabasha (Wabasha V). He was baptized on December 25, 1929. His native american name is Canku waste wan ohnaya which means, He travels a good road.
He served in the US Navy during the Korean War. Following his honorable discharge in 1953, Ernie attended DeVry Technical Institute. Ernie was an electronic technician and worked in the Arctic Circle in 1956 on the DEW (Defensive Early Learning) Line. He worked for Honeywell for 25 years and for 10 years with McDonnell Douglas Aircraft working on the Gemini and Mercury Aerospace Program. Ernie enjoyed fishing, bowling, and spending time with his family. He was very involved with his cultural events. In his earlier years, Ernie was active on many committees for the Lower Sioux and was the first Tribal Representative at Jackpot.
Ernie is survived by his wife; Vernell of 57 years, a daughter; Theresa, one son; Leonard (significant other Chris), three grandchildren; Cheyanne St. John, Forrest St. John, and Winona Wabasha, a great-granddaughter Inez St. John (Crow Dog); a sister; Vera Hutter, many nieces and nephews; a huge family and many special friends.
He is preceded in death by his parents, and siblings Emmarica Wabasha-Larsen, George, Matthew, Mike, Veronica, Mary, and Ernestine.
Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday at St. John's Catholic Church in Morton.
Visitation will begin at 5:00 p.m. Tuesday April 2, at the Lower Sioux Community Center and will continue until 9:30 a.m. Wednesday. Visitation will resume at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday at the church and continue until the time of the service. Interment is in St. Cornelia's Episcopal Cemetery. Online condolences may be sent at stephensfuneralservice. Stephens Funeral Service - Redwood Valley Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.
***********************************************************
May your spirit soar gracefully upon the whispering breeze.--
May your joy run strong as the deepest sea. --
May your soul reach out to embrace the sky. --
May your heart guide you truly as the years go by. --
Until we meet again...
May the Creator hold you in the palm of his hand...
***********************************************************
Chief Ernest Wabasha
http://www.startribune.com/local/201147731.html
He carried down one of the most storied names in Dakota tribal history, but Ernest Wabasha never put on airs.
"He was a private person who never tooted his own horn," said Vernell (Drappeau) Wabasha, his wife of 57 years.
Wabasha, who served in the Korean War, worked as an electrical technician on Gemini and Mercury space rockets and negotiated with museums to repatriate and bury Dakota remains, died Thursday at a Redwood Falls, Minnesota hospital from congestive heart disease. He was 83.
He descended from a line of several Chiefs Wabasha — including the Mdewakanton leader forced to march into detainment at Fort Snelling and then exiled after the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862 despite saving more than 100 white captives.
"Whenever we met elders in Nebraska or the Dakotas," his wife said, "they would always shake his hand and say how honored they were to meet him. But he remained quiet, polite and strong — a quality leader and role model who will be missed."
One of nine siblings, Ernest Wabasha was sent away like many young Dakota of his era to a missionary-run boarding school in South Dakota. That's where he met Vernell. They were married Feb. 11, 1956, after his naval stint in Korea concluded. He scored in the top dozen of 600 electricians at Chicago's DeVry Institute and quickly landed a job in the Arctic Circle, working on defense systems during the Cold War.
"They say the first year of marriage is the toughest, so maybe that's why we were able to stay together 57 years — he was in the Arctic that first year," Vernell said with a chuckle.
Wabasha joined McDonnell Douglas Aircraft in St. Louis for 10 years, working on electrical panels for the space program. After living in Chicago and St. Louis, the Wabashas returned to Minnesota, where Ernest worked 25 years for Honeywell. In 1979, they moved back to the Lower Sioux Community in Morton, where Ernest served as the first tribal representative at Jackpot Junction Casino.
Throughout his life and during his retirement, Ernest relished Dakota cultural events and the tribal history to which he was so connected. On his mantel, he kept for years a pair of heavy iron shackles that his great-grandfather, Chief Wabasha III, wore during the forced march across the southwestern Minnesota plains in 1862.
When St. Paul opened a rebuilt Wabasha Street Bridge in 1998, Ernest Wabasha opened the ceremony with a Dakota prayer. The street, like the river town and county in southeastern Minnesota, carry his family name.
In 2000, when a Michigan museum returned a tattooed piece of a Dakota warrior's skin for reburial, Wabasha was on hand, saying: "It was a good ceremony, but there are many more [specimens] that are in museums and collections around the country so we still have work to do."
Said his son Leonard, the cultural resources director for the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community: "He was a kind, generous, humble man who was reserved in his nature and always treated everyone with dignity and respect."
In addition to his wife and son, Wabasha is survived by his daughter; Theresa Wabasha, also of Morton, Minnesota; a sister; Vera Hutter of Redwood Falls, Minnesota, three grandchildren; Cheyanne and Forrest St. John and Winona Wabasha, and a great-granddaughter; Inez St. John.
After an all-night wake at the Lower Sioux Community Center, Wabasha's visitation will continue at 10 a.m. Wednesday followed by a funeral service at St. John's Catholic Church in Morton. He will be buried at the nearby St. Cornelia's Episcopal Cemetery.
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