Rosalind “Rose” Marie (Brown) Swan was born on May 25, 1948 at home near Wanblee, SD to Garfield T. Brown, Sr. and Zona (Wilcox) Brown. Rose made her journey to the Spirit World on July 19, 2024 at her home in Rapid City, SD.
Rose was the oldest daughter of 10 children. She grew up in Kadoka, SD, one of three native families in Kadoka at that time. She lived there through the 1950’s. Around 1958 or 59, her family participated in the relocation program the government had implemented and they traveled to San Francisco. The family stayed for about a year or two before returning to Pine Ridge. Once back, Rose began school at Holy Rosary and attended until she graduated in 1966.
While at Holy Rosary, she met Morlan Swan, Sr. and they were married Sept. 14, 1966 and moved to Rapid City, SD. Rose began work as a Northwestern Bell Telephone Company switchboard operator in the early 1970’s. Around the same time, Rose continued her education through school at the National College of Business and completed two years of secretarial courses. In 1977, she was hired as a secretary at WSDCAP and retired after 36 years in 2013.
For the past 10 years, Rose spent her time between Sioux Falls, SD and Rapid City, SD spending time with her five grown children and many grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great-great grandchildren.
Rose loved disco and dancing, doing word finds, spending time at parks with her family, swimming, barbecuing, and hanging out with her cousins. She also loved reading romances from past times and telling stories from her childhood in Kadoka. She had a good sense of humor and you could always find her laughing, smiling, and joking with whoever was around.
Her most cherished accomplishment was being a mother to her children and grandmother to her many grandchildren.
Rose was deeply loved by so many and she will be dearly missed.
Rose is survived by her five children, Michele Denoyer (Charles), Morlan Swan, Jr. (Carman), Monica Swan, Moriah Sandoval-Morales (Hermenegildo), and Cordelia Barron-Cordova; three brothers, Fred Brown (Sugar), Harold Brown (Sally), and Richard Brown; three sisters, Serena Provost (Irving), Doreen Two Bulls (Oren), and Bonnie Brown; and numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren, great-great grandchildren, cousins, nieces, and nephews.
Rose was preceded in death by her husband, Morlan “Rusty” Swan, Sr.; her mother, Zona Brown; her father, Garfield T. Brown, Sr.; her sister, Dorothy Two Bulls; her three brothers, Elgin Brown, Lester Brown, and Garfield Brown, Jr.; her grandson, Charles White Eagle; great-great grandson, Lux Thompson; and her great-great granddaughter, Aiko Storm White Eagle.
Pallbearers will be Damon Long, Clay White Eagle, Lucio Sandoval-Morales, June Black Feather, Emilio Martinez-Perez, and Hermenegildo Sandoval-Morales.
Honorary Pallbearers will be Olivia Gonzolez, Ricki Peterson, Connie Brafford, longtime friend-Ruperto Reyes, Sr., and All Friends and Relatives.
A one night wake service for Rosalind Marie Swan will start at 3 on Sunday July 28, 2024 at the Woyatan Lutheran Church in Rapid City, SD with evening services starting at 7.
Funeral is at 11 on Monday July 29, at the Woyatan Lutheran Church in Rapid City with Minister Jonathan Old Horse and Traditional Lakota Services by Mike Cross.
Burial is at 1 on Monday July 29 at the Pine Lawn Memorial Park in Rapid City