October 29, 1947 – November 4, 2025___________________________________
Morgan Samuel Garreau, 78, began his journey to the Spirit World on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, at Cheyenne River Health Center, Eagle Butte.
Funeral ser vices we re on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, at St. John’s Episcopal Church, Eagle Butte. Burial followed in St. Paul’s Episcopal Cemetery, LaPlant.
Sam, as he was commonly called, was born to Melvin Garreaux, Sr. and Melda High Bear Garreaux on October 29, 1947. He was a descendant of Chiefs Black Buffalo, One Horn, High Bear, Gall, Sitting Bull, and Crazy Horse, as his mother, Rattling Blanket Woman, was a sister to One Horn.
Sam graduated from Cheyenne-Eagle Butte School. He was active in all sports and was prom king. During high school summers, he attended Upward Bound at the University of South Dakota.
He took his first job at Naeve’s Store. On the weekends, he helped his father at the ranch. He attended college at Northern State University.
He was later employed with the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe in the Public Service Careers program. He left Cheyenne River to take employment in Aberdeen, as the executive director of the Tribal Chairman’s Health Board. He returned home to serve as Administrative Officer for the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe in the Melvin Garreaux, Sr. administration.
He began his political career as a tribal council representative for District 5 and was later elected by the Oyate to the position of Tribal Chairman. Sam was a forward thinker and through his leadership and vision, the airport became a reality, and the Super 8 Motel was built. After his time as chairman came to an end, he returned to his home in rural LaPlant. He would later serve as a school board member for the Tiospaye Topa School, director of the Tribal Business Information Center, and executive director of the Cheyenne River Housing Authority, from which he retired.
Sam was united in marriage with Odette Four Bear. LeeAnne, Joseph, and Louis joined this union and became a family.
When he was Tribal Chairman he traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet with congressional representatives, staff, and the president of the American Indian National Bank. Sam told the bank president that Cheyenne River wanted to establish relations with the bank, set up accounts, and make loans to purchase arms with which to raise an army and declare war on the United States government. The bank president looked at Sam with an astonished wide-eyed look. Sam laughed and the bank president breathed a sigh of relief. Sam could come across as a serious guy but when he was pulling a fast one, he would get a twinkle in his eye.
In October 2024, Sam was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a blood cancer, and was hospitalized in Sioux Falls and Pierre. He underwent a number of blood transfusions and weekly injections of medicine as a treatment plan. He appreciated the many healing prayers sent to the Creator on his behalf.
Grateful for having shared his life are his daughter LeeAnne Knight; son Louis Pierre Garreau; mother Melda Garreau; aunts Shirley (Jay) Christenson, Lola Blue Earth, Melynda High Bear, Barbara High Bear, and Lynn High Bear; sisters Francine (Bob) Hall and Jacqueline Garreaux; brothers Jeffrey (Karen) Garreau and Steven Garreau; hunka brother Harold E. Condon; nephews and nieces; grandchildren Jasmine Louis, Eryn Louis, Xavier Louis, Henry and Felix Hall, Amanda Knight, Jace Knight, Terrance Knight, Phoenix and John Schlecht, Hunter Moran, and Justinlynn Garreau; great-grandchildren Kingsten, Kobe and Thomas Knight, Henley Brown, Elora Knight, A’hanni Schlecht, Luca and Luna Moran, Joseph Knight, and Kellan Louis; and many cousins, relatives, and friends.
Preceding Sam in death were his wife Odette; son Joseph Paul Garreau, father Melvin Garreaux, Sr., sister Rita Kym Louis, brother Melvin Garreaux, Jr., nephew Jeffrey Garreau, Jr., maternal grandmother Louise Green, maternal grandfather Paul High Bear, paternal grandmother Amelia Laundreaux, paternal grandfather Gilbert Garreau Sr., mother-inlaw Hazel Four Bear, and numerous other relatives.
Luce Funeral Home of Gettysburg was in charge of arrangements.