Funeral services for 41-year old Sean Means are Mon, Oct 31, 2022 at 10:00 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Pine Ridge, SD, with Deacon Bill White officiating and traditional Lakota services by Mr Will Peters
Cremation will follow the services with burial services at a later date.
A one-night wake service starts Sun, Oct 30, at 4:00 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church with vigil services and rosary starting at 7:00 PM.
In lieu of flowers you may give a monetary gift, which will go to help his family travel from California to be here to say their goodbyes
Sean Isaac “Chaske” Means also known as Cornbelly is now an Angel in Heaven.
Sean Means was born on October 31, 1980. On that morning 42 years ago, his Mom woke up and thought she was having stomach cramps, Sean’s Grama Lenore Means/Wilcox said “You’re in labor!!” Wanda’s first thought was “No, Not Today It’s Halloween. I have to hand out candy!”
Well, Sean didn’t agree with waiting! About 8 hours later, he demanded that he come into this world on Halloween and just after 4:00 pm he entered this world.
Mom, and probably many others, do not remember Sean demanding anything ever again throughout his life. Very seldom did he ever ask for help of any kind, and didn’t let people know that he was struggling.
Before SIDS was known about, we had a close call, he was sleeping and he woke up screaming, which wasn’t normal for him – Mom ran into the bedroom and his lips were blue. On that day when he was about one month old, God said NOT TODAY!! He let us keep Sean for 41 years, 11 months and 18 days.
Sean attended Wolf Creek School from kindergarten through 8th grade and he went on to Pine Ridge High School, known as OCS – Oglala Community School by the Back In the Day crew he graduated in 1999.
During his life he did some roaming. After graduating he worked as a Mentor for Y.O. – Youth Opportunity program. He really enjoyed working with and helping the younger ones.
After that he worked at various places. He was a cook at Big Bat’s in Pine Ridge, The Dew Drop Inn in Hot Springs, cooked at McDonald’s in Scottsbluff, the first time living in Maui, Hawaii he worked at Whaler’s Village, Crazy Shirts, and the Pearl Factory.
Sean met Heather in the summer of 1993, and they were married in Maui, Hawaii on August 19, 2014. He was a loving, caring Daddy to Leila, Cera, Brandon and Maui. They all roamed together and even lived in a tent on the Beach of Maui, when they first arrived there. With 2 hurricanes headed towards Maui, they got into emergency shelter and an apartment.
They moved back to Council Bluffs where he worked at Dairy Queen, Home Health Care Provider and a Tire Repair shop. He was a Mall Security Guard – he had lots of fun with Paul Blart pics and memes during that time.
He and Heather moved to Desert Hot Springs, CA and he worked for Door Dash for a short time and then a grocery store, Stater Bro’s – in the meat department.
A couple years ago he came back to Rapid City and was living with his sister Mandi and worked at Chili’s and also door dash. But he did not enjoy living in Rapid City without his kids.
He moved back to California, because he missed them and they missed him terribly – especially Brandon, who was his little tail. After moving back to California to be with his family again, he worked for Stater Bro’s. So, you see, he did do some roaming.
Sean discovered Insane Clown Posse sometime in 1998 or 1999. He has been a Juggalo ever since. He owned every album they ever released along with Psychopathic Records artists.
During his life on this earth, Sean touched countless hearts, those people will always remember and love him, and remember his silly, goofy sounds that he would at random times make. All the many people that he went to school with, laughed with, and cried with will cherish the memories that they had together.
Sean had a very special friend, Rich McIntosh, that he took care of when he was a Home Health Care Provider in Council Bluffs, Iowa. They became very good friends, and had some fun times, some of which can’t be talked about here. Some of Sean’s close friends know the story.
The friends that he listened to about their struggles and helped them to feel better, all the while facing his own struggles, that he, most of the time kept to himself, they will cherish those times.
Chaske made a positive impact on so many people, we apologize to anyone that was special in his life and we forgot to mention you as an Honorary Pallbearer.
O’Doyle Rules!!!
He was planning to come home for his Birthday, and was so excited about seeing everyone, and gaming with some of his group in person.
They all loved him so much and will miss him dearly. He couldn’t be away from them for long, he missed them, and they missed him. He will forever be in their hearts.
Sean is survived by his wife, Heather (Leissner) Means; children, Leila, Cera, Brandon and Maui, all of Desert Hot Springs, CA; father, Franklyn D. “Pope” Means of Porcupine, SD; his momma, Wanda O’Rourke of Wounded Knee, SD; brothers, Donald Means and Johnsie Means, both of Porcupine, SD; sisters, Mandi Means of Spearfish, SD and Nicole (Prue) Claussen of Scottsbluff, NE, and Kateri Means of Porcupine, SD; uncles, Richard (Kim) O’Rourke of Roosevelt, AZ, and Allen (Mary) Hamm of Broomfield, CO; aunts, Irene (Means) Brewer of Pine Ridge, SD, Donna (Loren Klingman) O’Rourke of Rapid City, SD, and Tracy O’Rourke of Lake Wales, FL; and numerous nephews, nieces, cousins, and friends.
Sean was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, John Henry “Johnsie” Means and Lenore (Goings) Means/Wilcox, Grandpa Leo Wilcox; maternal grandparents Walter O’Rourke and Alice (Brookens) O’Rourke/Hamm; uncles, John “Little John”, “Jen” Means, Duane “Gramps” Brewer and Paul Little; grandma, Florine “Floss” (Goings) Lebeau; grandfathers, Lee Hamm and Isaac “Ike” Bettelyoun; great-grandparents, Jack “Dick” O’Rourke, Beatrice (Tibbits) O’Rourke/McLaughlin, and Milo and Rachel (McRae) Brookens; great aunt, Edith “Ede” (Brookens) Tibbits/Bettleyoun,
Sean was preceded in death by his very special friend, Trish McFarland, who he was with when he lived in Buffalo Gap while working at The Dew Drop Inn. Trish and their unborn baby were tragically killed in a car wreck and passed away in Sean’s arms. This loss stayed with him until the day he left us. And now his passing will stay with us until we go to meet him and our ancestors in the spirit world.
His loss was way too soon.
There are many people that will greet him in the spirit world, to name a few Gramps Brewer, Uncle Jen, Grampa and Grandma Brookens, Grandma Bea and Grampa Dick O’Rourke who will play the fiddle for him. Grampa Johnsie and Grandma Lenore, Doyle Janis, Trish McFarland and Baby.
Arrangements entrusted with Sioux Funeral Home of Pine Ridge, SD