March 13, 1927 – December 13, 2021
Edith Knight, 94, of south Dupree, passed away December 13, 2021, at her home.
Funeral services were held December 22, 2021 at the Dupree School Gym in Dupree. Burial was in the Knight Family Cemetery, south Dupree.
Edith (Edie) Pauline LaPlante (He Ska Win – White Horn Woman) was born March 13, 1927 to William LaPlante and Mamie Jewett.
Edith grew up during the Depression. William was lucky and able to work taking his family with him while he built many of the large dams on the Cheyenne River Reservation. A young Edie was in tow while she was about 3-5 years old and witnessed the Rattle Snake, Bear Creek and White Horse dams all being built by her father.
Edith went to Cheyenne River Boarding School graduating with honors. It was during her early school years that she met Jess A. Knight, whom she’d marry August 2, 1947.
Edith attended college at Haskell Institute in Lawrence, KS. She began her teaching career for the Head Start Program in 1964. In 1971, after teaching first grade and kindergarten, she joined the Teacher Corps and received her Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education, from Black Hills State University. She later completed her Master of Science degree in Elementary School Administration at Northern State University in 1993.
Over 40 plus years she taught at Cherry Creek Day School, Red Scaffold, Eagle Butte, Takini and Dupree.
Her first “tour” of retirement didn’t last long. Soon after retirement she took on the Lakota Language teaching role at Dupree School and taught at Faith and Isabel as well. Her second round of retirement did not last long either. Though she retired to focus on her ranch, once again she returned to the educational field. In 2013 Edith joined the Foster Grandparent program at the Dupree School. She officially retired in 2017. She became a member of Native American Indian Women’s Association. As a member of NAIWA she was elected as the National Director of Public Relations. In 2007 she was voted Woman of the Year by NAIWA, in the awareness of Native Culture category.
On November 6, 2021, the Knight family was honored at the Casey Tibbs Rodeo Center for their contributions to their community, rodeo and ranching. Throughout their marriage Jess and Edie were involved in performance horses from bucking stock to racehorses. Edie still had cattle and operated the ranch, along with her son Bill.
Edith is survived by her eight children: Monte (aka Buckshot), Lona, Tom (Carol), Bill (Susan Pourier), Jess Jr. (Marsha Lytle), Lucy, and Mark (Connie); and 51 grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
She is preceded in death by her parents; husband Jess A. Knight; son Jeffrey Knight; granddaughter Heather Knight; daughters-in-law Guyla Gunville and Sherry Keller-Knight; siblings Luverne Cummings, LeRoy, Rupert, Bernard, Richard “Dick” and Loren LaPlante and halfbrother Leland Larrabee; and adopted brothers Lanny and Orville LaPlante.
Luce Funeral Home of Gettysburg was in charge of arrangements.