March 24, 1961– April 9, 2022
Funeral services for Richard Bazile Rousseau, 61, of Ridgeview were held Friday, April 15, 2022 at the Cheyenne-Eagle Butte High School Auditorium in Eagle Butte. Arrangements were with Oster Funeral Home of Eagle Butte.
Richard “Rick” Bazile Rousseau was born March 24, 1961 to Theodore E. and Lehla (Wright) Rousseau. He was called home on the morning of April 9, 2022.
Rick was one of eight children and a lifelong resident of Ridgeview. He graduated from Cheyenne-Eagle Butte High School in 1979 and obtained his degree in diesel mechanics at the Southeast Area Vocational Technical School. Rick was in the Army National Guard from 1986 to 1992.
In 1989, he married the love of his life, Lynelle Whitebull. Two children were born this union, Veronica and Richard. In 1994, he started his own trucking/towing business which he continued to operate until his passing. Rick was well known in the communities and was always willing to lend a hand to anyone who needed help. He enjoyed visiting with people, helping Frank with morning chores, and having morning coffee with his family members. He was a man of many talents, a jack-of-all-trades, and very mechanically inclined. He was an expert trucker and heavy equipment operator. He hauled hay, cattle and gravel; fixed dams and vehicles and helped his friends and neighbors. He did whatever was needed and never quit until the job was done.
His family remembers Rick as kind, generous, caring, compassionate, and loving.
He loved being a CRST Tribal Council Representative. He took his position very seriously and worked tirelessly to be the voice for his district. He never shied away from voicing his concerns or opinions on important matters that affected the tribal membership.
One of Rick's greatest joys was being a grandpa. He assumed the role of grandpa with absolute joy and with his entire heart. He would spend his mornings with his “papa’s girl” McKenna “Maste” and was everwilling to watch the movie Frozen multiple times a day. He did anything he could to make his grandchildren happy.
Rick is survived by his wife, Lynelle Whitebull; daughters Jessica Rousseau (MN), Rhonda Rousseau (MN), Sarah Miner (SD), Veronica (Chris) Todoroff (MT), and Samantha White Bull (ND); sons Richard P (Daysha) Rousseau (SD), Martin Vagsaeter (Norway), Jesse (Tanika) White Bull (ND), and Jimmy Jewett (SD); grandchildren Olivia, Lois, May’a, Mena, McKenna, Auset, Aleigh, Kaedynce, Baptiste, Kristopher, Constance, Erika, Daleynie, Joaquin, Angeline, Erika, Jaxon, Jasanna, Merle “Bird” Capjohn-Wolf (hunka grandson); siblings Beth (Tom) Wilson, Patsy (Carl) Vaughn, Debbie (Chaunce) Johnson, Cyndi (Jerry) Fischer, and Mike Rousseau; hunka brother Ben Elk Eagle; and many other relatives.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Theodore “Junior” and Lehla Rousseau, and siblings Ronald and Bobbie Jo.