Sara Ganje

Mass of Christian Burial for Sara Ganje, 74, of Eagle Butte was held December 2, 2021, at the All Saints Catholic Church in Eagle Butte. Burial was at the Eagle Butte Cemetery under the direction of Kesling Funeral Home of Mobridge.

Sara Lynn Ganje entered the Spirit World on Saturday, November 27, 2021 at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls.

She was born November 9, 1947 to Samuel Arpan and Eudora Azure at the Old Cheyenne Agency. She was one of seven siblings. When she was a young girl, she lost her mother which was very traumatic for her, but her loving father did a great job of raising his children.

Sara attended school in Eagle Butte, where she graduated in 1968. Later that year, Sara married her husband of 53 years, David Ganje. Together they raised three children: Loren, Lavon and Jared.

Sara enjoyed being a wife, mother, grandmother and friend. She always made the holidays special for her family with her baking, cooking and decorating. She enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren and would have fun scaring them with her costumes on Halloween. In her younger years, she decorated cakes for her friends on special occasions, and made many bikini cakes. She always enjoyed a good laugh and making people laugh. She loved to tease and joke with anyone that she met. Her light hearted nature drew people to her and she loved having them around. She made sure that anyone who entered her house felt at home and she was always willing to help, often providing transportation, food, support and guidance.

Sara began working for the Cheyenne-Eagle Butte School system in 1979. After 25 years, the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe made an Executive Proclamation in recognition of her accomplishments and identified May 17, 2004 as Sara L. Arpan Ganje Day. She continued to work at the school another 14 years until her retirement on June 29, 2018.

Sara is survived by her husband, David Ganje; her three children: Loren (Dawn) Ganje and their children Camryn, Reese and Logyn; Lavon (Gerald) Booth and their children Jace (Becky), Payton and Dixon; Jared (Savannah) Ganje and their children Tristan, Isabella, Tia, Kya and Mason; great-grandchildren: Jalee, Blake and Jensyn Booth; her sister Donna Iverson, nieces Cathy Iverson, Laura Schad, Kerrilyn Arpan and Sammi Cox, and nephew Mike Arpan.

She is preceded in death by her two granddaughters, Ashlyn Booth and Hannah Ganje; her brothers, Anthony Arpan, Michael Arpan and Sammy Arpan; her sisters, Mary Arpan and Janet Drause; father, Samuel Arpan and mother, Eudora Arpan.

(David Ganje’s address is PO Box 395, Eagle Butte, SD 57625)