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Funeral services for John Halsey, 100, of McLaughlin will be at 11 AM, CT, Saturday, December 8, 2018 at the McLaughlin Blue Gym. Burial will be in the All Nations Veterans Cemetery under the direction of Kesling Funeral Home of Mobridge. Visitation will begin at 5 PM, Friday at Kesling Funeral Home with a prayer service at 7 PM. John passed away Friday, November 30, 2018, at St. Alexius Medical Center in Bismarck.

John Basil Halsey was born on July 18, 1918 in Fort Yates, North Dakota. He attended school in Fort Yates up until the 8 ^th grade, then made a decision to leave school in order to attend to the financial responsibilities of his family. During the era of the first Great Depression in the United States, John worked on various farms and ranches in the area, in order to be able to send money home to his parents and family.

On March 7, 1941, John enlisted in the United States Army. He was part of the Infantry when the United States Armed Forces landed on the beaches of Normandy in 1944, and served as a switchboard operator and infantry man, where he participated in several major military campaigns, including; the Battles for Normandy, Northern France, the Rhineland, Ardennes, and Central Europe.

He was a recipient of the Good Conduct Medal, the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater Service Medal, the Ameican Defensive Service Medal, and received Three (3) overseas Service Bars. Following the demobilization of the American Armed forces at the end of World War II, John received an Honorable Discharge, he served from March 7, 1941 to September 26 1945, including One year, nine months, and twelve days overseas.

When he returned to the Standing Rock Reservation following the end of the war, he never spoke about the battles he had participated in, but he loved to talk of the many beautiful places he had seen. He was close to his family and friends throughout his life, and was always willing to help those in need. He was a very spiritual person and practiced the morals and ethics of the Lakota in his daily life.

He became one of the first indigenous persons in the area to declare himself a member of the Baha'i faith and a true believer of the Oneness of Mankind. He served as the Chairperson for the Native American Local Spiritual Assembly for the first group indigenous members of the Baha'i Faith on Standing Rock, and his faith in the Creator continued throughout his life. He lived his life comfortably alone, as a confirmed bachelor for many years, serving his family, his neighbors, and the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe to whatever extent he could. He enjoyed traveling with his family and friends incluing Vern Longie, and Dan Defender

In 1996, John moved to the Golden Living Center, in Mobridge, South Dakota where he lived for over a year. John was grateful for the care he received while he resided in the Golden Living Center, however he had enjoyed many years of a quiet, peaceful, spiritual life and did not adjust well to his new surroundings. In 1997 John moved to Mclaughin to live with his family, the Defenders. He brought a lot of joy, comfort, and compassion to their lives throughout his next 21 years, and he always proclaimed that they did the same for him.

John passed away Friday, December 30 ^th 2018. He will be greatly missed