Funeral services for Andrew P. LeBeau, age 93, of Blackfoot, will be Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2010 at 10:00 AM CT at Ascension Episcopal Church , Blackfoot. All night wake will be Tuesday starting at 7:00 p.m. Visitation will be from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the funeral home on Tues. Burial will be in the LeBeau Family Cemetery rural Blackfoot. Andrew passed away Friday, September 10, 2010 at Mobridge Regional Hospital. Kesling Funeral Home of Mobridge in charge of arrangements.

Andrew Paul LeBeau was born in Promise, SD to Peter LeBeau and Virginia Rivers on September 20, 1916. He attended school at St. Josephs in Chamberlain and the old Cheyenne Agency boarding school, and left school after completing the eighth grade.
He was a very intelligent man who did a lot of reading in his spare time, and he expected his children to attend college by saying "when you go to college" not "if you go to college".

Andy was a great conversationalist, always coated with his wonderful and contagious sense of humor. When in a serious mode, he was full of history, telling of personal experiences. He was a tribal spokesperson on many Washington, D.C. trips. On one trip in particular, he met President John F. Kennedy and told of what an awesome and humbling feeling it was to shake the President's hand.

Andy was a devoted Christian man who served Ascension Church in the Moreau River (now called Blackfoot) from 1954 to 1989, when he suffered a massive stroke leaving him speechless with right-side paralysis. Yet, The Lord's Prayer and a few other prayers came out of his mouth as plain as day, as well as a few choice swear words when he couldn't make himself understood.

His job history from youth onward consisted of the water boy for threshing crews and road construction east river; lumberjack; CCC, BIA, and CRST jobs as heavy equipment operator; game warden and buffalo caretaker; tribal council representative terms from 1958-1974, also completing a chairmanship term April 1962-October 1962, and a lifetime rancher.

Andy married the love of his life, Emma Adel Azure, on November 17, 1944, in Gettysburg, SD. Theirs' was "One of God's love stories here on earth", as many will agree. To this union, four children were born, another was adopted but never considered as such, because she came right from the hospital three days old; and Emma's wanting to have eight children became a reality with three foster children moving in. Andy had one son from a previous marriage.

This honest, hard-working, generous, devoted, kind-hearted, humble, humorous, fun-loving, reliable, soft-hearted and religious father, grandfather, great-grandfather, great-great-grandfather, cousin, uncle, brother-in-law and friend will be missed terribly.

Andy is survived by sons: Joseph (Angela) LeBeau, Sr., Patrick (Dorothy) LeBeau; daughters: Lou Marshall, Cleo (Brent) Burnette and Constance (Joe) LeBeau; grandchildren: Melissa Weselek; Angela Lambert, Lisa LeBeaux, Sandra Cuffley, Denise, Joe Jr., and Mark LeBeau, Linda Ghost Bear; Lynn Jr., Cody and Ryan Burnette; Nancy and Benjamin LeBeau, Raeanne Shaw; Wallace Jr, Wynn and Deidre Chase; Brett and Bryan Burnette; Memoree and Amber LeBeau, Alayna Red Fox; 40+ great and great grandchildren, many nieces and nephews and three sisters-in-law: Alice, Eloise and Amelia, and hunka daughter, Carolyn Marks.

He was preceded in death by his loving wife, Emma, parents Peter and Virginia, son Andy, Jr., grandsons Wade Chase, Andrew Thomas LeBeau, and one great grandson; brothers Henry LeBeau, Patrick, Frederick, Moses and Napoleon Ducheneaux; sisters Mabel Springer and Mamie Cummings; several nieces, nephews and in-laws.