Ethel Edna (Simmons) Wickham was born at home in Santee, Knox County, Nebraska on July 30, 1922, to Raymond W. and Jessie (Frazier) Simmons. Her Indian name given to her by her grandma Simmons was Oka Win Ge Waste Win, meaning good circling woman. Her mother was part of the Santee tribe and her father was part of the Yankton Sioux tribe.

She attended school in Greenwood, South Dakota and then went to the old Rosebud Boarding School in Mission, SD, for three years not even returning home during holidays. After she left the boarding school she moved in with her grandparents. Ethel got married at seventeen and with this union she had three boys; Delbert, Chandler, and Douglas. After she got divorced she moved to Oshkosh, NE to babysit for her fathers cousin. During this time she met and fell in love with Ward Wickham and they were married on April 3, 1948. Their first child, Raymond, was born in Wagner during the 1949 blizzard. After that they moved to Custer in March of 1950. After a lengthy process Ward was able to adopt Ethel's three older boys. Their second child together was the baby of the family, born at home, Irene, in 1953.

Ethel enjoyed the family outings, picnics, rock hunting, and fishing. She was on the local bowling league and enjoyed traveling to tournaments. She helped on the local election board, the CAT team and was a member of the Royal Neighbors of America. She loved to do embroidery, to play hand and foot canasta, go to the casino to play the Nickel Sizzler Machines and at every chance play BINGO!

Ethel passed away peacefully in Rapid City with Hospice care in her home, on Tuesday, March 12, 2019. She was 96. She was preceded in death by her husband, Ward, of 54 years, her sons and a grandson. She is survived by her daughter; Mrs. Gary (Irene) Wenzel of Pagosa Springs, CO, who has been her caretaker for the past five years, an adopted sister; Roberta of Kingman, Arizona, and thirteen Grandchildren, thirtyseven Great Grandchildren, twentyfive Great-Great Grandchildren and numerous neices and nephews. What a legacy you have left behind.

A visitation will be held 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m., Friday, March 22, 2019, at Chamberlain McColley's Funeral Home in Custer.

Funeral services will be held 2:00 p.m., Saturday, March 23, 2019, at Chamberlain McColley's Funeral Home in Custer.

In lieu of flowers a donation may be made in Ethel's memory to the VFW Post 3442, 721 Mt. Rushmore Rd, Custer, SD 57730.

Arrangements have been placed in the care of Chamberlain McColley's Funeral Home in Custer, SD.