Funeral services for Jacinta Defender, 65, of McLaughlin, SD, are 10:00 a.m., Sunday, July 12, 2015, at the McLaughlin Blue Gym. Burial at the Defender Family Cemetery near Porcupine, ND, under the direction of the Kesling Funeral Home of Mobridge, SD. All night wake starts at 5:00 p.m., Saturday, July 11, 2015, at the McLaughlin Blue Gym. Jacinta passed away on Sunday, July 5, 2015, at the Mobridge Regional Hospital of Mobridge.

Jacinta Nacawili Del Rosario Defender was born on January 30, 1950 to Frederico Del Rosario and Honorata Nacawili at the barangay (village of Balanacan in the province of Mogpog located on the island of Marinduque in the island of the Philippines.
Jacinta grew up in Balanacan, the youngest of 8 children. As the baby of her family, her siblings dubbed her with the nickname "Darling," a moniker she proudly carried her whole life. She loved and cared deeply for her family, and they, in return, cared and loved her deeply as well.
Born to two educators, Jacinta's parents made sure that their children were educated as well. She attended Balanacan Elementary as a child, and then went on to receive her high school diploma at the Marinduque High School. She then attended the Philippine Maritime Institute, where she earned her Associate's degree, while serving in the Philippine Navy.
After graduating, Jacinta returned to her village to help her older brother Pepe' with his children and help her parents at home. Because she always enjoyed helping others, she decided to join the Peace Corps for two years.
In 1982, Jacinta converted to the Baha'i' Faith. She strongly believed in their message of peace, unity, and the oneness of mankind that the Faith held it's roots in. She liked that they held no bias or prejudice to anybody, regardless of religion, race, or anything else, as long as people believed in God and realized that they should love one another.
It was through the Baha'i' Faith that Jacinta met the love of her life, Daniel Defender, at a Baha'i Center in Manila. After a whirlwind courtship, they got married May 16th 1984. On September 6th of that same year, she hopped on a plane to have her daughter the very next day at Medcenter One in Bismarck. Four years later, on September 8, they proudly welcomed into the world their son Quddu's.
The Defender family moved to Fort Yates, ND, then lived in Porcupine, ND, then settled in the Bear Soldier District of McLaughlin. The family took trips everywhere during the summertime, traveling to California and Texas, so that Jacinta could see her family that lived here in the United States. Her husband knew that sometimes she got homesick, and so tried his best to ease that in any way possible.
Dan and Jacinta had a very loving and caring relationship, and enjoyed each others company very much. They adored each other, and so it saddened her deeply when the 'love of her life', as she referred to him, passed away on December 3, 1995. She missed him, but she always said that at least she got to spend 11 wonderful years of marriage together on this earth.
After a lot of soul searching, Jacinta decided to stay living in McLaughlin, so that her children could be raised on the reservation and know their culture and heritage. With a lot of help and support from her husband's family, the community, and friends, especially Marge Edwards and Dorothy Locke, she made sure that her children knew exactly who they were and where they came from.
Jacinta was honored that the community at large accepted her, a foreigner with no ties here except for her two children. The community treated her just like she was an enrolled member, and she was glad that people didn't treat her differently and made her feel at home.
Jacinta also enjoyed going to the casinos on Standing Rock with her casino buddies, Shirley, Mary Jane, Pearl, and Elaine. They always took care of her whenever they went, and made sure that she was comfortable wherever they would go. She valued their friendship very much, as they valued hers.
Jacinta loved helping and caring for others, but she loved nothing more than to help her daughter with her 4 grandsons; Joshua, Daniel, Matthew, and Nakona. She was the best grandma that anyone could ask for, and doted on them every chance that she could. She took great pride in everything that they did, treating each milestone they passed as a cause for celebration. In her eyes they could do no wrong, and her grandsons loved and adored their grandmother just as much.
Jacinta is survived by her daughter Honorata Defender, her son Quddu's Defender, her four grandchildren; Joshua, Daniel, Matthew, and Nakona, her sister Gloria Calma, and sister-in-law Mary Louise Defender-Wilson, and numerous nephews, nieces, and grandchildren both through marriage and from the islands.
Preceding her in death were her parents, Frederico and Honorata Del Rosario, her husband Daniel Defender, her siblings Ed Del Rosario, Helen Del Rosario, Frederico Del Rosario II, Ely Del Rosario, Emilio Del Rosario, and Pepe' Del Rosario.

Casket bearers: Max Defender Sr. Max Defender Jr. Michael Defender, Bradley Defender, Jonathan Edwards, Claymore Shanley, Dale Del Rosario, Dustin Thompson

Honorary Casket bearers: Stanford Edwards and family, Kristen Bringe and family, Dorothy Stickwan-Locke and family, Shirley White Buffalo and family, Pearl Three Legs and family, Mary Jane (Mojo) White Bull and family, Elaine Little Bear and family, Leslie Dirk and family, Faith Taken Alive and family, Sunny Agard and family, Kenny and Connie Comeau and family, all of the Defender family, all of the Del Rosario family, the community members of the Bear Soldier District, Jessie Norder and the staff of West River Health Clinic, Mobridge Regional Hospital and staff, and anyone else that may have been forgotten. The family apologizes.