May 15, 1953 – September 14, 2025
James Marshall Sitting Eagle, 72, of Eagle Butte passed away on September 14, 2025, at his home.
Funeral services were on Friday, September 26, 2025, at Pioneer Hall in Dupree.
Jim was born Walter James Gillespie at the Old Cheyenne Agency on May 15, 1953, to Arlene M. Mestes and Walter Dean Gillespie. Jim was then enrolled as a CRST member of the Mnicoujou band.
When Jim was two years old, his mother Arlene married Ray L. Marshall, who was in the Army and then Air Force. They began calling him Jim Marshall and the name stuck throughout his life. Jim was raised in Utah, Nevada, Germany, New Mexico, California, and on the Cheyenne River Reservation.
Jim completed first through sixth grade at a Catholic school in New Mexico.
He spent his younger years with his maternal grandparents at their Ash Creek ranch home south of Dupree, where his Grandpa Ed Fisherman and Uncle Cheeto “Vernon” Mestes taught him to ride horses. Jim was a natural musician and taught himself to play the guitar by age ten. By the age of 15, he was flying in an airplane with his uncle Cheeto, Coke Chapman and Carv Thompson, to play for country western dances. Jim also played the French horn, banjo, harmonica, electric guitar, piano and organ, but couldn’t read a note.
Jim graduated from C-EB High School in 1972, then spent time traveling, landing in California, playing in bands and making new friends.
Jim returned to Cheyenne River and in 1975 he married Karla K. Knight.
Jim’s life changed when he began to walk the Red Road. During this time, he received his great-grandfather’s Lakota name, “Sitting Eagle.” Jim became a ceremony man and started the Kangi Yuha Society.
In his younger years Jim worked as a ranch hand. He rode broncs in high school rodeos. He worked for the Cheyenne River Housing Authority for several years as a maintenance man while living in Dupree and raising his family. In the early 1990s he moved to Rapid City and worked at the Black Hills Foundry, Lakota Jewelry Visions, LaCrosse Estates and Willy’s Chain Saw.
Jim created beautiful, heartfelt art pieces in various mediums; tanning hides to make bags, bead work, pointillism art and acrylic paintings. He worked with pipestone making prayer pipes and stems.
Jim leaves behind his mother, Arlene M. Marshall; sisters Raylene M. Marshall and Carla Rae Marshall; hunka sister Karen Jeffries (Ken Birkeland); hunka brother Mitchell Zephier; brother Ray L. Marshall II; sons Ed, Ben (Winona) and Danny Marshall; daughters Lowan (Chris) Jeffries and Elisa (Bradley) Speker; 18 grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren; maternal aunts Ramona Flatoen and Shirley Rhine; maternal uncle Orville Mestes; and many other relatives and friends.
He was preceded in death by his father, Walter Dean Gillespie; stepfather Ray L. Marshall; maternal uncle Vernon (Cheeto) Mestes; grandparents: Frank Mestes, Carrie Fisherman and Edward Fisherman; great-grandparents Mary (Sitting Eagle) Bridwell, Oscar Bridwell; and great-great-grandparents, Blue Ear Ring and Sitting Eagle.
Luce Funeral Home of Gettysburg was in charge of arrangements.