Reverend Enright Vernon Bighorn Sr. was called Home to be with the Lord on January 23, 2021, following a short illness at Sanford Medical Center, Fargo, North Dakota. He was born November 5, 1950, to Jacob and Mabel (Foote) Bighorn Crowbelt in Poplar, Montana on the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Reservation. He was given the name “Wahinkpe Duta” (Red Arrow), which was passed down to be given to him by his father, Jacob.
Enright attended Brockton Schools, Brockton, Montana, graduating as Salutatorian in 1968. A talented basketball player for the Brockton Warriors, he was a member of the 1966 Warriors team along with his cousins that were Conference, District, and Divisional Champions and then Consolation (3rd place) Champs at the State Tournament. He continued to play basketball after high school in independent basketball tournaments in the Phoenix valley and surrounding states, while on his brother Narcisse Bighorn’s independent basketball team.
Following high school, he attended Cook Christian Training School in Tempe, Arizona. While there, he met the love of his life, his wife, Cyndi, who he was married to for 50 years. They were married May 8, 1970 in Tempe, Arizona. During Cook School, he did his internship in Idaho at First Presbyterian Church and First Indian Presbyterian Church on the Nez Perce Indian Reservation. After graduating from Cook School, he served at Goodwill Presbyterian Church (Sisseton, SD) and Bdecan Presbyterian Church (Tokio, ND), as well as Ascension Presbyterian Church (Sisseton, SD) most recently. He spent most of his years as pastor at Lindsey Memorial Presbyterian Church (Poplar, MT), Makaicu Presbyterian Church (Riverside, MT) and Rev. Lloyd Red Eagle Memorial Presbyterian Church (Fort Kipp, MT) and at times he preached at United Dakota Presbyterian Church (Wolf Point, MT), Cansuska Presbyterian Church (Frazer, MT) and Mni-Sda Presbyterian Church (Chelsea, MT).
Enright attended the Navajo Police Academy and graduated as top cadet in 1975. He was employed with the Navajo Nation Police Department and Williston Police Department (North Dakota) in the mid-70s for a short time before he answered his calling to go into ministry full-time for 40+ years.
He attended the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary (Dubuque, IA) and then in 1996 he was ordained as a minister for the Presbyterian Church (USA) at his home church, Rev. Lloyd Red Eagle Memorial Presbyterian Church, in Fort Kipp, Montana, serving in the Presbytery of Dakota (PCUSA).
On September 20, 2012, following the funeral services of Betty Ann Black Dog, Enright was honored by the Red Eagle and Good Bird families and bestowed the honor of Spiritual Chief for the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes and he was presented a war bonnet. The Badland Singers made a song for him which was an honor he was so proud of.
In his younger days, Enright enjoyed hunting, riding horseback, growing gardens, traveling to Arizona & New Mexico to visit relatives and farming/ranching. Every day he liked reading the daily Bible devotions and scripture reading, visiting, reading the newspaper, telling old stories, sharing the family history, listening to all kinds of music such as, Steve Emery, old country, gospel, Selah and other Christian music, and watching John Wayne movies and other western movies, as well as Hoosiers, Rudy and The Waltons, to name a few.
He was a doting grandparent and helped raise his four grandchildren, Rayanna, Chassidy, Ronnie and John, and he always wished he lived closer to his grandkids, Devin and Alexus, in Arizona. He loved to visit with his great-granddaughter, Willa Rose, whether on the phone or when she came to the house.
Enright is preceded in death by his mother, Mabel Bernice Foote Bighorn; father, Jacob Maurice Bighorn Crowbelt Sr.; his sisters, Doris Ann Bighorn, Ione Bighorn, Doris Rae Bighorn Andrews; brothers, Maynard Bighorn, Narcisse Bighorn, and Jacob Bighorn Jr.; his nephew, Michael “Speedy” Youngman Jr.; his niece, Frances Jo Moore; his adopted brothers, Harold Buck Elk and Lionel Kinunwa; and his best friend in Sisseton, Francis “Punchie” Charging Cloud.
Enright is survived by his wife, Cynthia (Martin) Bighorn (Sisseton, SD); his son, Enright Bighorn Jr. (Sisseton, SD); his daughters, Mary Bighorn (Sisseton, SD), Carrie Bighorn (Browns Valley, MN) and Jennifer (Kevin) Shorter (San Tan Valley, AZ); his grandchildren, Rayanna Bighorn, Chassidy Bighorn, Ronald “Ronnie” Eagle, John “JC” Bighorn, Devin Shorter, Alexus Shorter and his great granddaughter, Willa Rose Renville; his sisters, LaVonne Looking Elk (Rapid City, SD), Iola Scott and Kristie (Elmer) Crowbelt DeCoteau, both from Poplar, MT; his brothers-in-law Timothy Martin (Rehoboth, NM) and Murray Andrews (Brockton, MT); his sister-in-law Deloria Bighorn (Duncan, British Columbia, Canada); his adopted sister Eileen (Buck Elk) Buckman; his nephews, Jacob (Carmen) Moore, Lyle (Suzanne) Bighorn, Talbert (Lora) Looking Elk, Terence Looking Elk, Jordan (Meleyna) Bighorn, Kai Lane Bighorn, Joaquin Andrews, Ramon Cloke, Brian Amos, and Jeremiah DeCoteau; his nieces Ruth Moore, Sheryl Looking Elk, Sheila (Paul) Looking Elk-Fanning, Lisa (Pete) Hatten, Michelle Wilsey, Muriel Youngman, Jelana Bighorn, Zebe Andrews, Cory (Tim) Lingle, Verna (Patrick) Shilow, Alice Long Hair, and Lynnette Long Hair; his adopted daughters Joel Rae Ferguson (Poplar, MT), Audria Jordan (Chandler, AZ), Victoria (Mike) VanArsdale (Mesa, AZ), Stacey (John) Menz Summers (Wolf Point, MT), Danelle (Matthew) Menz Olson (Fort Kipp, MT); and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews. There are also many Hunka relatives: Charlotte Weston family, Lester & Louise Crawford family, Gene & Deborah Heminger family, the Menz family, the Red Fox family, Alta German family, the Jeanette Crawford family and many more. Sincere apologies for not being able to list everyone.
Pallbearers will be Dakota Johannessen, Kiyen Andrews, Darwin Longtree, Titan Pipe, Golden Walking Eagle and Myron Menz.
Honorary pallbearers will be Darrell Renville, Leonard Crowbelt Jr., Ernie Bighorn Jr., Ernie Joe Lambert, Sybil Doris Erickson, Darlene Left Hand, Carl Lufkins Sr. and Reverend Ken Lehman.
A Viewing will be held Tuesday, January 26, 2021 from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM at Cahill Funeral Chapel, 516 East Cherry Street, Sisseton, South Dakota 57262.
On Friday, January 29, 2021 from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM, a public viewing will be held at the Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel, Wolf Point, Montana immediately followed by an Evening Prayer Service at 7:00 PM.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, January 30, 2021 at the Red Eagle Memorial Presbyterian Church, Fort Kipp, Montana, followed by interment at Fort Kipp Community Cemetery. Services will be officiated by Mr. Dean Bighorn, Commissioned Ruling Elder. Cahill Funeral Chapel, Sisseton, South Dakota is entrusted with arrangements in collaboration with Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel, Wolf Point, Montana.
Condolences for the family can be left by using the form below.