August 10, 1943 – March 29, 2026________________________________________
Curtis Rave, 82, of Lemmon passed away Sunday, March 29, 2026, at the Five Counties Nursing Home, Lemmon.
Funeral services were held April 9, 2026, at Spencer Memorial Presbyterian Church, Lemmon. A second service was held April 10, 2026, at St. John’s Episcopal Church, Eagle Butte. Burial was in the Green Grass Cemetery at Green Grass.
Curtis Peter Rave was born on August 10, 1943, in Albert Lea, MN to Curtis and Helene (Dupris) Rave. His mother later returned home to the Poor Buffalo Ranch along the Moreau River on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation.
Curtis’s childhood nickname was “Popsie.” He was one of the Poor Buffalo–Dupris grandchildren, cherished and loved by his Grandma Mabel Poor Buffalo Dupris and her sisters, Eliza and Sarah. Summers and holidays meant family gatherings and freedom for the grandchildren, as they left Old Cheyenne Agency town life behind for the adventures of ranch life and the teachings of the grandmothers.
The family had a collective goal for Curtis’ future: that he would grow up in a safe, protective environment. In 1954, Curtis went to live in the South Dakota residential program for the developmentally delayed in Redfield, where he spent 28 years. In 1982, he moved to Lemmon and became part of the LIVE Center, Inc. family.
Throughout his 44 years in Lemmon, Curtis worked at the grocery store, the Steak House, Water Hole #3, Palace Theater, Lemmon Livestock, and Lil Feller, to name a few. He also worked on LIVE Center’s lawn crew and for Wheeler Manufacturing in LIVE Center’s workshop for 35 years before retiring in 2020.
Curtis was a jokester. He loved to tease others and did so with love. Curtis traveled all over the country. He attended NASCAR races and professional football games in different parts of the country, Dukes of Hazzard festivals, the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, and Branson, MO, during Christmas time to view the lights and listen to country music concerts. He also visited the New England states in the fall to see the beautiful colors.
He loved a good rodeo and supported the Lemmon High School Cowboys. Curtis loved music and enjoyed singing with bands at community events. “Your Cheating Heart” was a favorite.
Curtis attended Evangelical Lutheran Church for many years and later began attending Spencer Presbyterian Church so he could worship with his friends. Curtis’ Native American culture was very important to him. He enjoyed attending powwows, and when it became too difficult for him to travel, he watched them on TV and listened to powwow music on his iPad.
Curtis loved to make people laugh and was a deeply caring person.
Curtis is survived by his three nieces: Kimberly Rave (Brady) and their children Jacque’, Hoss, and Erin; Heather Clausen Merriman (Buck) and her child Tyler and four grandchildren; and Brandy Povsha (Mike) and their children Nick and Ciana; two nephews, Royce Bayless and Marshall Rave, and their families; and his other Lakota relatives.
He joins his mother and father; his sisters, Merle Bayless and Marie “Fifi” Clausen; his little brother, Austin Rave; his niece, Pierette Rave; his grandchildren, Tate Claffey and Kilby Reynolds; his Poor Buffalo grandmothers— Mabel, Eliza, and Sarah— and his Lakota and Winnebago relatives.
Luce Funeral Home of Gettysburg was in charge of arrangements.