Louise Smith

Louise Three Stars Smith, a devoted nurse, beloved mother, and cherished elder of the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux community, passed away on Thursday June 12, 2025, at the age of 101. Born on August 28, 1923, in Hisle, South Dakota, on the Pine Ridge Reservation to Paul and Sarah Three Stars. Louise lived a century defined by love, faith, and lifelong service to others. She was a proud enrolled member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe and carried the name Red Horse Woman.

Louise graduated from Oglala Community High School in 1943 and went on to attend nursing school in Lawton, Oklahoma. She began her nursing career in 1945, during the final year of World War II when she and her best friend Mamie Dupree were assigned to the Indian Health Service hospital in Poplar, Montana. Though the small one-horse buggy town was not what she expected, she quickly made it her new home. For the next 44 years, she served as a nurse for the Indian Health Service; caring for mothers, children, and elders with steady hands and a calming presence. Her patients remembered her warmth, her humor, and the trust she built through compassion and her smile. “I always wanted to be a nurse because I love to help people,” she once said. For Louise, nursing was not just a job—it was a sacred calling rooted in care, respect, and unconditional love for her people.

On January 2, 1948, Louise married William “Buck” Smith, a rodeo cowboy, sportsman, and decorated Army veteran. Together they raised four children: Mike, Eddy, Edna, and Paul. Their lifelong marriage was filled with devotion and adventures. After Buck’s passing in 1990, Louise never remarried, often saying he was the love of her life. Their bond remains a testament to enduring love, and those who knew her take comfort in the thought of their reunion – together once more, hand in hand.

A devoted Christian, Louise’s faith was the foundation of her life, and she was often seen reading from her Bible. Her family attended the Inestimable Gift Episcopal Church in Allen, South Dakota. She was an active member of the Lindsey Memorial Presbyterian Church in Poplar, Montana. Her trust in God carried her through life’s challenges, and her deep spirituality was evident in every word, every prayer, and every act of kindness. A gifted singer, she sang with the Dakota choir and especially cherished the hymns of the Dakota Odowan. Whether in church or at community events, her voice lifted hearts—blending faith, tradition, and language.

Louise embraced her Lakota identity with pride. Fluent in her language and immersed in her culture, she found joy in powwows, ceremonies, and community gatherings. Her smile, her laughter, and her steady presence made her a familiar and welcome figure. She was a dedicated supporter of the Nakona Medicine Lodge and loved her lodge family. Her life was a beautiful balance of tradition, generosity, and quiet strength.

She also carried a deep knowledge of traditional teachings: gardening, drying corn, digging turnips, picking berries, making wasna, cleaning tripe, and making frybread. She was a rock collector and had a green thumb, creating a beautiful flower and rock garden every year. She understood how to live in harmony with the land and how to care for others with humility and grace. This wisdom, passed through generations, ensured that traditional ways would endure.

As a cancer survivor, Louise faced her illness with courage, faith, and determination. She never let the diagnosis define her. Instead, she leaned into her spiritual grounding and resilient spirit, emerging even stronger. In her later years, she remained vibrant and engaged; enjoying puzzles, word searches, scratch tickets, and coloring. She especially loved driving around with her daughter Edna, watching Westerns, and time spent with loved ones. When asked her secret to a long life, her answer was simple: “Try to love everybody.”

Louise was also a strong advocate for veterans. As a longtime member of the Women’s Auxiliary of the Nathan Crazy Bull American Legion Post #54, she gave countless hours in support of those who served. Her dedication to honoring veterans was guided by respect, gratitude, and unwavering pride in her community’s warriors.

Over the course of her 101 years, Louise witnessed extraordinary shifts in the world—from the hardships and sacrifices of World War II to the convenience and rapid pace of the digital age. Though technology advanced and the world evolved around her, she held fast to what mattered most: her family, and her old flip phone—simple and dependable. Through decades marked by war and peace, hardship and progress, she was a steady cornerstone of faith, no matter the changes around her.

She was not only a witness to history but a part of it. On August 28, 2023, she celebrated her 100th birthday. Reaching such an age is rare in any community, but especially among Native elders, making her longevity even more remarkable and inspiring. Her milestone was recognized in several news articles that honored her enduring legacy as a nurse, cultural matriarch, and lifelong voter.

In November 2023, Johns Hopkins Nursing published a national article celebrating Louise’s career with the Indian Health Service, highlighting her as a role model for Native nurses. Her story was shared as an example of lifelong compassion, cultural strength, and dedication to Native health care. She offered this advice to the next generation: “Always be compassionate about your work and help your people.”

On June 2, 2024, she served as grand marshal in a parade marking the 100th anniversary of the Indian Citizenship Act, riding proudly in a convertible beneath a banner that read: Montana’s Oldest Native American Voter. The article reflected on how she was born just months before the 1924 Act, which granted Native Americans U.S. citizenship, and how she lived through a century of both progress and continued struggle for equal rights. Even after turning 100, Louise stood as a powerful symbol of Native civic engagement, cultural endurance, and dignity.

She looked forward to visiting with her grandson Ethan Three Stars in the Lakota language. She raised her first grandchild Stacie Smith (Four Star) and had a hand in raising many more throughout her life. More than anything, Louise was Mom, Grandma, Great-Grandma, Great-Great-Grandma, and Auntie. She was a role model, a hero, and a steady presence in all our lives. She gave hope to the bleak, strength to the weary, and love to everyone she encountered. Her wisdom, humility, and generosity shaped generations, and her memory will live on in the hearts of those she helped. She was a treasured elder, her spirit now woven into the songs, stories, and ceremonies that will carry our people forward.

She was preceded in death by her husband, William “Buck” Smith; her parents, Paul and Sarah Three Stars; her best friend, Mamie Dupree; her son, Eddy (Connie) Smith; her brothers, Peter, Harry, and Alonzo Three Stars; her grandchildren, Dustin and Eddy O; her great-great-grandchildren, Asher and Karsen; and many other beloved relatives.

She is survived by her children: Mike (Lovena) Smith of Wahpeton, ND; Edna (Larry) Wetsit of Wolf Point; and Paul (Corina) Smith of Wolf Point. She leaves behind 16 grandchildren, 41 great-grandchildren, and 10 great-great-grandchildren, along with many nieces, nephews, extended family members, and dear friends who will continue to honor her memory.

Tȟašúŋke Lúta Wíŋ philáuŋyayapi thiwáhe na oyáte na wičhóyaŋke tȟáwa nič’íč’u. Thank you for giving all of yourself—to our family, your people, and your community.