Louise Smith

Louise Three Stars Smith, 101, died Thursday June 12, 2025.

Born on Aug. 28, 1923, in Hisle, S.D., on the Pine Ridge Reservation to Paul and Sarah Three Stars, she lived a century defined by love, faith and lifelong service to others. She was a proud enrolled member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe and carried the name Red Horse Woman.

She graduated from Oglala Community High School in 1943 and went on to attend nursing school in Lawton, Okla. She began her nursing career in 1945 during the final year of World War II when she and her best friend, Mamie Dupree, were assigned to the Indian Health Service hospital in Poplar. Though the small one-horse buggy town was not what she expected, she quickly made it her new home. For the next 44 years, she served as a nurse for the Indian Health Service. Her patients remember her warmth, her humor, the trust she built through compassion and her smile.

On Jan. 2, 1948, she married William “Buck” Smith, a rodeo cowboy, sportsman and decorated Army veteran. Together, they raised four children: Mike, Eddy, Edna and Paul. Their lifelong marriage was filled with devotion and adventures. After Buck’s death in 1990, she never remarried. Their bond remains a testament to enduring love.

A devoted Christian, her faith was the foundation of her life and she was often seen reading from her Bible. Her family attended the Inestimable Gift Episcopal Church in Allen, S.D., and she was an active member of the Lindsey Memorial Presbyterian Church in Poplar. Her trust in God carried her through life’s challenges and her deep spirituality was evident in every word, every prayer and every act of kindness. A gifted singer, she sang with the Dakota choir and especially cherished the hymns of the Dakota Odowan. Whether in church or at community events, her voice lifted hearts — blending faith, tradition and language.

She embraced her Lakota identity with pride. Fluent in her language and immersed in her culture, she found joy in powwows, ceremonies and community gatherings. Her smile, laughter and steady presence made her a familiar and welcome figure. She was a dedicated supporter of the Nakona Medicine Lodge and loved her lodge family.

She also carried a deep knowledge of traditional teachings: gardening, drying corn, digging turnips, picking berries, making wasna, cleaning tripe and making frybread. She was a rock collector and had a green thumb, creating a beautiful flower and rock garden every year. She understood how to live in harmony with the land. This wisdom, passed through generations, ensured