Anderson Funeral Home
Homeserving families for over 70 years
312 South Stone St.
Augusta, WI 54722
715-286-2222
Elizabeth Deere
Elizabeth Deere, 95, of the Price area of rural Fairchild, Wisconsin, passed away early Wednesday morning, November 25, 2015, at the Mayo Clinic Health System- Oakridge Osseo.
Elizabeth LittleSoldier (Gaga)Deere, Mašu Rokanabewi ga (Shining feather) Warrior clan member, was born July 5, 1920 in Galesville WI to David and Emma (Thunder) LittleSoldier.
Elizabeth attended elementary school in Galesville & Trempleau and high school in LaCrosse WI. She married Peter GreenCrow and had two children, Henry GreenCrow Sr. and Bonita GreenCrow Clairmont. She was a widow at a very young age but remained single for 5 years until she married Raymond Deere. She moved to the Minneapolis St Paul Twin City area in 1959 where she and her companion were active members of the St Paul American Indian Club. Both she and her companion were instrumental in starting the Native American Church-State of MN and were life long members. She took college classes in River Falls WI which earned her a high school diploma, something that she was very proud of. She worked for the Great Lakes Foster Grandparent Program for a number of years and the HoChunk Nation Gaming Enterprise in the Softcount Department. She was a HoChunk Language Instructor and worked at the Black River Falls Headstart Program. She also had a position as a HoChunk Language Instructor in the Twin City area of MN. Elizabeth worked for the HoChunk Nation Clan Mothers for many years, work in which she took a great deal of pride.
Elizabeth had many interests including serving as Chaplain for the Andrew Blackhawk Womens Auxiliary for well over 30 years. She was a Red Arrow Division daughter from the flag she took care of that belonged to her Jaji Sam LittleSoldier. She was a very fluent speaker of the HoChunk language and one of the last remaining basket makers of the HoChunk Nation. In her younger years she attended powwows and danced in women’s traditional and also was a back up singer to the world renowned Renegade Singers. She prided herself in keeping her house and the family homestead in a clean, well organized manner. She had a great deal of self respect and was a very independent, hard working woman.
She was preceded in death by her husband Raymond Deere, parents David and Emma Thunder LittleSoldier, one brother Simon LittleSoldier and one sister Ida LittleSoldier WhiteDog, one son Henry GreenCrow Sr. and one grandson Clinton Wade GreenCrow.
She is survived by one daughter, Bonita (son-in-law Jim) Clairmont, daughter-in-law Betty GreenCrow of St Paul MN grandchildren Henry Jr., Dustin Travis, Misty Dawn GreenCrow, Lakota Clairmont (daughter-in-law Stefanie) and April (Dave) Russell, great grandchildren Quincy Rae Grittman, Hailey Elizabeth , Holden, Cherish, Arianna and Anthony GreenCrow, Annessa, Emma, Dayven, Taylor and Skyler Clairmont and great great grandchildren Braedy Clinton, Kourtney LaRae and Kayana Sage Jackson and Wicahpi Lonetree. She is survived by many nieces and nephews and their children who called her Gaga/Grandma and who were all loved and cherished by Elizabeth. She is also survived by many adopted children among the Dine’ Nation including the Begay, Sandoval families including her beloved grandson Daniel (Laverne) Johnson of Crystal NM and among the Pawnee Otoe Nation with the Moore & Shields family. She was adopted as a sister by Joe Rockboy from the Yankton Sioux Tribe, a relationship carried on by his son Clarence until his passing and Chaske Rockboy.
She lived to be 95 years old, likely the oldest remaining HoChunk citizen before her passing on Wednesday, November 25th.
Elizabeth lived a long full life attributable to good clean living.
Devotion services will be held Wednesday and Thursday evening at the Elizabeth Deere home at W14802 Old Highway 10, Fairchild, WI. A Native American Prayer Service will be held Friday evening also at the Deere residence.
Native American Church Services at the Deere residence will be held Saturday, Nov. 28, 2015 at 1:00 p.m., followed by burial in the Fairchild Cemetery. The family is assisted by the Anderson Funeral Home in Augusta.
