Eleanora Boutwell

Eleanora Louise (Roberston) Boutwell was born in Sisseton, South Dakota to Howard and Catherine (Cottier) Roberston on February 28, 1936. Eleanora died Friday, August 2, 2019, at the age of 83 years old at her home in Ogema, Minnesota, surrounded by her family.

She worked at the Flandreau Indian School. She worked at Neises Store in Cass Lake, Minnesota, she also worked for the U.S. Forest Service in Cass Lake, Minnesota. She was employed for 40 years and retired from the Circle of Life of School in White Earth, Minnesota.

She had many talents including sewing, beading, making star quilts, and other arts and crafts. She was a great cook and baker.  She enjoyed her time going to bingo and playing keno with her family and friends. She was very  knowledgeable, and she did a lot of educational and artistic projects with the White Earth Circle School. She taught many students beading and cooking. She and her students helped create a cookbook together.

She graduated from Flandreau High School in 1954.  She was the first language speaker of Ojibwemowin and judged in Ojibwe language contests. She met Bunk at Flandreau Indian School, where she was working as a  secretary, and he was a supervisor at the FIS boy’s dorm.  Eleanora and Bunk transferred to many reservations, which include;  Mandaree, North Dakota on the Fort Berthold Reservation, Chippewa Ranch Job Corps Center in   Mahnomen, Minnesota, Busby, Montana on Northern   Cheyenne  Reservation, and on the Leech Lake Reservation where Bunky worked at the Bemidji IHS Area Office where she lived in Cass Lake, Minnesota, and finally to the White Earth Reservation where Bunky worked as a Health Educator at the White Earth IHS.

She was a member of the Episcopal Church where she traveled being a  member of the ECW. She met and made Rev. Desmond Tutu as beaded  medallion and he gave her a Episcopal Bible.

She was an enrolled member of the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe.

Ellie is survived by her children Clifford Peters of Flandreau, S.D., Kathy Peters, Ogema, Minn., Brent Boutwell, Mahnomen, Minn., her sisters Wanda Cadotte, Nancy Herrick, Carol Robertson, all of Flandreau, S.D.  She has five grandchildren,  six great grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents Howard and Catherine Robertson, a younger brother Sonny Robertson, and a nephew. Her husband Galen Boutwell, brothers-in-law Lauren Herrick and Gilbert Cadotte Sr.