Sr. Madeleine LeCompte , OSBS, Rapid City

Sister Madeleine Rita LeCompte , OSBS, 89, Rapid City, died Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2012, at Rapid City Regional Hospital Auxiliary Hospice House.

She was born Aug. 3, 1924.

Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at St. Paul’s Church in Marty, with the Rev. David Tickerhoof , T.O.R. presiding. Burial will follow in Marty.

Funeral services were held at 10 a.m., Dec. 21 at St. Isaac Jogues in Rapid City with the Rev. David Matzko , SJ, presiding.

In lieu of flowers, memorials have been established to the Rapid City Regional Hospital Auxiliary Hospice House and St. Paul’s Church in Marty.

Osheim & Schmidt Funeral Home, Rapid City, is in charge of arrangements.

Sister Madeleine was born to Anna Blackbird and Frank LeCompte at their home in Mobridge. She was baptized shortly thereafter in St. Bede’s Church in Ft. Yates, Wakpala. Sr. Madeleine is an enrolled member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. She attended St. Joseph’s Indian School for eight years in Chamberlain. Her high school years found her at the Rosebud government school for two years. Desiring a more Christian education, Fr. Louis Gall, SJ, helped her to transfer to St. Francis Mission to be taught by the Jesuits and Franciscan Sisters where she graduated in May 1941. Right after graduation, she entered into a new religious community established on the Yankton Sioux Reservation, the Oblate Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament.

At the time of her 50th jubilee, Sr. Madeleine wrote: “Various ministries have been my lot. I began with the boys’ sewing room at Marty as a Postulant and Novice. Then word was in the wind that Fr. Sylvester wanted me in the office. The mission was existing through the contributions from the campaign. I got the ‘run down’ on my new position to take over the office. That call was to last 23 years. In between I was Food Service Director at Marty, administration in the Oblate Community, a short term as teacher in grades 1-8 in Greenwood, but then Fr. Sylvester recalled me! I learned so very much under his direction. After his death in 1948, I had to bridge the gap with a new Superintendent and Superior of St. Paul’s mission … this was to last another 18 years!”

August of 1976 found Sr. Madeleine on a first assignment away from Marty — the Cheyenne River Reservation in Eagle Butte. She worked here for eight years but then returned to Marty to serve another term as community leader. Sr. Madeleine began her service at the Kateri Convent in Rapid City in 1988. She was then called back to Marty to serve as pastoral administrator of St. Paul’s for two years. Since that time, she returned to Rapid City and has resided there until the Lord chose to call her home.

Sr. Madeleine was preceded in death by her parents, her sisters: Bern Johnson, Mildred Hill, Evelyn LeCompte; and one brother Frank.

She leaves to mourn one brother, George (Betty) LeCompte; several nieces and nephews; her faithful companion and caretaker to the end, Sr. Joan Vittengl, OSBS; and her other Oblate Sisters: Inez Jetty, Patricia Mylott and Miriam Shindelar .

Tags: rapid city, obituaries

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