Delores Rita Janis was born on September 19, 1995 in Pine Ridge, SD to Charles Janis, Sr. and Emma Blacksmith. Delores made her journey to the Spirit World on December 15, 2024 in Sioux Falls, SD.
It was an honor for us all to have such a beautiful daughter, sister, mother, aunt, niece, & cousin. When her life began she had endured some hardships at birth needing immediate attention. She went to hospitals to receive car until she reached the age of 5. Delores attended school at Wolf Creek, Pine Ridge Elementary, and some high school in Watertown, SD. All of the challenges she faced in life gave her the humorous side she always had a great outlook on life.
She was close to her siblings and always said, “That’s my family, we will always be family.” She became a mother of 2 boys and 2 girls, Isaiah, Rion, Layla, & Arya. Delores loved her children and every memory she would reminisce and just smile. She loved life even if she made choices, she definitely understood consequence, always forgiving her actions and endured hard times, never telling anyone but her siblings.
Time and time again…she struggled, but always was hopeful, she didn’t care for any negativity as she continued forward. She loved Sioux Falls for her reasons we will never know them, but we as family respected her decisions. At the time of her death, the newspaper and other news outlets called her “homeless” in our hearts she was free. She had a significant other, Jose Sandate who was by her side through her tough times whom she resided with.
We all come together and prepare her farewell, Delores Rita Janis, our sister, daughter, aunt, mother, niece, granddaughter, & cousin. We will carry her in our hearts for she was a woman whom loved life even in her hardest times, she was truly one of the rare ones you just won’t ever forget. If there was one thing I can carry on from her it would be this, “A love so rare that it takes truly seeking with your whole heart.”
Delores is survived by her beloved children, Isaiah, Rion, Layla, and Arya; significant other, Jose Sandate; paternal family, great grandmother, Marry Shangreaux; grandparents, Marvin & Valerie Janis, Doris Brings Plenty, Patty Mesteth, and Shirley Ward; father, Charles (Mary Allen Janis) Janis, Sr.; aunts, Bobbi Joe Janis, Christine Anderson, Sioux Dawn, Mina, Charli Rae, Mindy, and Sophia Bagola; uncles, Brandon Kills Small, Travis Bagola, Jerry Carl Bagola, Marvin Janis, and Jeremy Yellow Thunder; siblings, Charles Patrick Stacy (Brittany) Janis, Sophia Tanelle (Trevor) Weston, Christian Raye (Rex) Webster, Alleiy Badul Shaineree, (Matt) Economy, Andawniette Taiyleen (Devon) Long, David Zachary Pete, Evie Janis, Jadaa Mainree (Joseph) Garza, Maya Faith (Joe) Chatila, Aliaa Treanill Lorae, (Matthew) Honomichl, Joaquin Phoenix, Mya Janis, Emmarie Jayne Watson, Mabel Jaina (Raymond) Martinez, Heavenly Blessing (Orion) Nadeau, Madison Crow, Hayden Janis, Marleilah Janis, and Sapphire Janis; maternal family, Mother, Emma (Gerald) Blacksmith; aunts & cousins, Mariel, Hermis, Eric, Jon, Lucian, Michael, Wilma, Debra, Nathaniel, Helena, Rose Marie, Monique, Irma, David, Janet, Prairie, Michelle, Melvin, & Delphine; uncles, Grant, Joshua, Caleb, Julian, Bradlee, Fredricha, Thomas, Clinton, Megan, Edward, Isabella, Wesley, Castor, Lawrence, Paullux, Devine, and Major.
Delores was preceded in death by her paternal grandparents, Pete Janis and Mabel Ward; cousin, Alicia Janis; maternal grandparents, Melvin Blacksmith and Delores Blacksmith; cousins, Chunku Jimenez, Maureen Janis and Nicholas Blacksmith; brother, Charles Patrick Stacy Janis, Jr.; nieces & nephews, Ezekiel, Sophia Grace, Javon Blacksmith, Harold Lamont, and Darius Eagle Bull.
Honorary pallbearers will be all nieces, nephews, cousins, friends, & relatives.
Pallbearers will be Gerald Blacksmith, Nate Blacksmith, Melvin Blacksmith, Orion Nadeau, Matt Economy, Joe Brings Plenty, Moses Brings Plenty, David Janis, and Joaquin Janis.
Wake Services: Two night wake service starting at 12:00 PM, Saturday, December 28, 2024 at the Brother Rene Hall in Oglala, SD
Funeral Services: 1:30 PM, Monday, December 30, 2024
Officiating: To Be Announced
Traditional Lakota Services: To Be Announced
Burial Services: St. Peter’s Episcopal Cemetery, Oglala, SD
Arrangements entrusted with the Sioux Funeral Home of Pine Ridge, SD