Lillian Evelyn Beane, age 101, passed away on April 12, 2013, at Avera Flandreau Hospital. The daughter of Oliver Moore and Grace Eastman Moore, Lillian was born on August 27th, 1911 in her grandfather Rev. John Eastman's home at Agency Village on the Sisseton Reservation, South Dakota. Rev. Eastman had been called to serve the Goodwill Presbyterian Church in 1906, after serving as the pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Flandreau for 30 years. He was instrumental in getting the Flandreau Indian School located in Flandreau. When Lillian was 5 years old, Oliver and Grace went to Wolf Point, Montana to work at the Indian mission school. Lillian attended grades 1 – 8 at the Wolf Point Public School. Her parents worked and taught among the Assiniboine Tribe for eight years. She remembers fondly how generous the Assiniboine people were to her and her parents. One Christmas she was presented with the gift of a pony of her choosing. After the death of Rev. John Eastman, the family moved back to Flandreau. They took care of Grace's mother, Mary Jane Eastman, and grandmother, Nancy Faribault Huggin, both of whom lived to 91 years of age. Oliver taught agriculture at the Indian School, and was coach of the baseball team. Grace taught in the homemaking department, and later worked in the garment factory. Lillian attended the Indian School, graduating in the first "senior" class of graduates in 1931. To her classmates she was known as "dink", because she was so skinny. Twice a day she and others were marched out of class to the dining hall to take "special nourishment" for the skinny ones. Following her graduation at Flandreau, Lillian attended St. Cloud State University, in St. Cloud, Minnesota for two years. At that time she was working towards a teaching degree. Grace and Oliver transferred to the Wahpeton Indian School in Wahpeton, North Dakota in 1933. Lillian enrolled in the North Dakota State School of Science in Wahpeton, and graduated with a Business Degree in 1934. She was soon employed as the secretary in the business office of the new Indian Hospital at Sisseton, South Dakota. In 1936, Lillian's uncle, George Eastman, was elected as the first tribal president of the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe. He served on the Executive Committee, in various positions, for nearly 20 years. Following her marriage in 1938 to Sydney E. Beane, a member of the Yankton Tribe and a grandson of Blue Cloud, the last Yankton chief, they moved to Flandreau. Both were employed at the Indian School. Lillian served as secretary to the superintendent and kept records for the garment factory. Syd worked as a Boys Advisor and coached the Indian School basketball team. His team of 1939 won the State Class "A" Basketball Championship - a feat which has not been duplicated at the school. In 1957, Lillian and Syd transferred to the Wahpeton Indian School so their three children, Linda, Syd, Jr., and William could attend her alma mater, the State School of Science. At Wahpeton, Lillian worked as the secretary to the principal, and Syd was employed as an instructional aide in the boy's dormitory. After 32 years of service, Lillian retired from the Bureau of Indian Affairs in 1974. Syd had retired with 33 years of service in 1971. They resided in Wahpeton until they moved to Phoenix, Arizona in 1975. They lived there until 1986, when they moved to Lincoln, Nebraska. Upon her husband's death in 1987, Lillian applied for HUD housing on the Flandreau Santee Sioux reservation. William moved with Lillian to her new home in the winter of 1990. Lillian wanted to move back to Flandreau so she could live out her retirement among the people she loved – relatives, friends, and tribal members. She continued to be an active member of the First Presbyterian Church, and attended almost every tribal meeting since she returned. She also continued to love basketball, the sport her husband and son, Syd, Jr., had excelled in for so many years. Before her death, Lillian was the oldest living Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribal member and the oldest living graduate of the Flandreau Indian School.

Lillian is survived by sons William Beane, Flandreau, Syd, Jr. (Becky) Beane , Plymouth, MN; four granddaughters, Lisa Owen, Sydney (Brian) Beane, Carly (Jay) Bad Heart Bull, and Katy (Hinhan) Beane, all Minneapolis, MN; one grandson, John (Ruth) Beane, San Ramone, CA; six great granddaughters, Ray Leigh Owen, Mahpiya Owen, Bella Owen, Amelia Owen, Zitkadandutawin Beane and Canpadutawin Beane and son-in-law Fred Olson. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Sydney E. Beane, and daughter Linda Olson.

Funeral services will be 11:00 am Wednesday, April 17, 2013 at First Presbyterian Church, Flandreau, with burial in the church cemetery. Visitation is from 5-7 pm Tuesday at Skroch Funeral Chapel with a 7 pm prayer service.