March 7, 1938 – April 27, 2026
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Everett Floyd Hunt passed away peacefully, surrounded by family, on April 27, 2026, at the Cheyenne River Health Center in Eagle Butte.
The funeral service was on May 5, 2026 at All Saints Parish Catholic Church in Eagle Butte. Everett will be laid to rest on the family ranch.
Everett was born on March 7, 1938, at Old Cheyenne Agency, to Ennis “Jack” Hunt and Jennie Annis Hunt. One of 11 children, Everett was raised on the Hunt family ranch south of Eagle Butte.
Everett attended a country school and graduated from Eagle Butte High School in 1957. After a few summer jobs and a couple of attempts at college, he graduated from Black Hills State University in 1965 with a major in Business and a minor in History. He later earned his master’s degree from the University of South Dakota.
Everett took a teaching job in Montana, where a man named Rudy introduced him to his daughter, Melinda Speers. The two were married, and with this union Everett instantly gained two daughters, Debbie and Lisa. Together, Everett and Melinda welcomed a son, John, in 1971. The family later moved back to the Hunt family ranch south of Eagle Butte, where Everett and John would form a partnership and work the ranch together for several years. Although John eventually took over running the ranch, Everett could still be found in the hay field – bossing John around – or simply hanging out with his grandchildren.
In 1983, Everett and Melinda welcomed twins Leigh and Lee (“Dooge”) Cudmore into their home. He raised the children with a strong work ethic, emphasized the importance of a good education, and instilled in them the value of knowing their way around both horses and cattle.
Everett served on the Tribal Council from 1984 to 1988, including a term as vice-chairman under Chairman Wayne Ducheneaux. He dedicated eight years as a board member for Medicine Wheel Village, where he advocated for expanded services, including the addition of a dementia unit and palliative/hospice care.
Everett had a deep love for the outdoors and treasured time fishing and boating with his children and grandchildren. He looked forward to elk hunting trips to Colorado with his buddies, Doug Davis and Danny Keller. In later years, he could often be found prairie dog hunting with his good friend, Leo Fischer.
Everett became lifelong friends with many of the people he did business with over the years. Many parts runs to Isabel would result in him coming home with not a single part, but a smile on his face, and whiskey on his breath. Those trips were rarely just about business.
Everett was part of a small gang known as “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” with good friends and neighbors Andy Fischer and Bill Pothast. They were three cowboys who truly enjoyed life. In later years, Everett sadly became the last amigo left, and he missed his friends dearly.
Everett and Melinda enjoyed many trips with Andy and Joy Fischer— whether carefully planned journeys spanning several days and states, or quick trips to Pierre to enjoy drinks and a good steak.
Everett lived a long and full life and experienced the loss of many people he loved along the way. Toward the end of his journey in this world, some of his final words to his best friend and his son, John, were, “Thanks for sticking with me.”
Survivors include his wife, Melinda Hunt; daughters Lisa (Shannon) Jordre and Debbie Doolittle; son John (Laura) Hunt; grandchildren Tyler (Ashley) Jordre, Drew (Rhianna) Jordre, Collin (Paige) Hunt, Jessa, Kyler, and Jackson Hunt, and Dillon Doolittle; great-grandchildren Emma and Landon Jordre, with a baby coming soon; his sisters Johnnie Nelson, Betsy Ducheneaux, Shirley Atkinson, Janice Eberhart, Sharon Hannum, and Midge Tiokasin; good friends Dan and Lorraine Keller, Joy Fischer, Leo and Lois Fischer, and many nieces, nephews, friends, and neighbors.
Everett was preceded in death by his parents, Jack and Jennie Hunt; brother Geno Hunt; sisters Janet Campbell, JoAnn Webb, and Lurene Raburn; son Dooge Cudmore; niece Diane Witt; nephew Charlie Lake and special friends Bill Pothast, Andy Fischer, Harold Clausen, Daryl Eberhard and “Jerry” and “Sheri” Swan.