Pearl Agnes (LaDeaux) Cournoyer, 87, of Wagner

Visitation is Tuesday from 2 to 6 PM, followed by a 6 PM Rosary at the Crosby-Jaeger Funeral Home in Wagner. Wake services are 7 PM, Wednesday at St. Paul's Catholic Church in Marty. Funeral Mass is 11 AM, Thursday, September 21, 2017 at St. Paul's. Burial is in the church cemetery.

Pearl Agnes (LaDeaux) Cournoyer was born February 23, 1930 at home to Benny Eugene LaDeaux and Bessie (Kills Small) LaDeaux. They lived at Manderson, South Dakota on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Pearl was a fluent Lakota speaker. When she first attended Holy Rosary Mission school she did not speak a word of English. She attended Holy Rosary Mission from 1st through 12th grade and graduated in 1948. Pearl attended a business school in Chicago, IL where she learned to operate various office equipment. While in Chicago she also worked as a nanny. After graduating from business school, she found a job placement at St. Paul's Indian Mission in 1949.

She met Steve Cournoyer while employed at St. Paul's Indian Mission. They were married on January 29, 1950. Steve and Pearl were married for 55 years. Pearl said "Steve taught me how to love so in turn I learned how to love my children". Steve and Pearl had 14 children: 11 boys and 3 girls (2 sets of twins), Steve Jr., Raymond, Robert, Donald, Thomas, Gregory (deceased), Faith, Mark, Agnes, Gary, Jody, Vincent, Baptiste and Gerald; 66 grandchildren; 136 great grandchildren; and 7 great-great grandchildren. She is also survived by a sister, Kathy Janis; and brother Ben Eugene LaDeaux.

Pearl's family lived at Rising Hail Colony west of Mary, SD from 1950-1971. They were featured in the South Dakota magazine. Pearl was a homemaker. They moved to Marty in 1971, where Steve managed the St. Paul Mission farm and Pearl worked at the day care center. Pearl then attended butcher school in Bismark, ND. She then worked at the Yankton Sioux Pork Plant for a while. She also worked as a high school girls dorm parent. She then started working as a cook then was promoted to the head cook position. After 16 years as head cook they moved to Chamberlain and worked at St. Joseph's Indian School as community houseparent's for 8 years. They retired and returned to Marty. Steve passed away on March 23, 2005. Pearl was physically handicapped and with her daughters help lived at home until April 2017, when she moved into the Good Samaritan Center in Wagner.

Pearl was a faithful servant of Christ, she said the rosary daily. She enjoyed watching Westerns and listening to county music. Pearl enjoyed cooking and sharing meals with everyone. She enjoyed reading. We have many good family memories, too numerous to mention. We were a happy family 95% of the time.

Pearl was preceded in death by her husband Steve, son Gregory; parents Eugene and Bessie LaDeaux; brothers: Abraham, Noah, Baptiste, Sam and Fred; sisters: Teresa, Midge and Rose; and half brother, Eddie.