Lester Raymond Obago, Sr.

"Wanbli Gleska Itancan"

September 11, 1950 - May 13, 2025

Wake Services will be 7:00 p.m., Saturday May 17 & Sunday May 18 at the Crow Creek Sioux Tribal Gym in Fort Thompson with burial of his ashes at a later date.

Anyone wishing to follow, the procession will leave from funeral home on Saturday at 12:00 p.m. (NOON)

View Folder Here

Lester Raymond Obago, Sr. "Wanbli Gleska Itancan" made his journey to the spirit world on May 13, 2025 at his home on the Crow Creek Reservation.

Lester was born on September 11, 1950 to Flavia (Thick Hair) Obago and Francis Obago in Eagle Butte, SD.  He was the oldest male brother out of 8 siblings.  He attended Ft Thompson Elementary School and Gann Valley High School.  After high school he enlisted in the US Army in 1969 to serve in the Vietnam War and was honorably discharged in 1972.

On July 3rd, 1974 he was united in marriage to Iva Delores Grey Owl and to this union they had three children; Christine Lynn, Lois Roberta & Lester Robert.  They were united in marriage for 32 years until Iva passed away in 2006.  In 1983, he was hired at night watchman/security at the Swift Horse Lodge treatment center at which time he met his older brother Clark Zephier.  Lester then became a Certified AA Counselor and worked at Swift Horse Lodge helping his people with combating and overcoming their addictions until 1990.  Him and his brother Clark began a spiritual journey together to bring our traditional DAKOTA ways of life back to the Crow Creek Reservation.  Through many struggles, tests, trials and perseverance they succeeded in meeting this goal.  There are now many here at Crow Creek who practice and walk our traditional ways of life and for this we are grateful and blessed.

In 1990 Lester began working at Red Horse Lodge an adolescent treatment program.  He worked with the youth from all over the USA who were sent there to get help with their problems.  Many of those youth and children became like his kids and they too attended sweat lodge ceremonies as part of their healing and recovery.  In 1994 he left to live in Albuquerque, NM where he continued his spiritual journey helping and teaching people our ways of life.  He lived there until 1998 at which time he came home to bury his beloved baby son, Lester "Cheeks" Obago, Jr.  Losing his son was one of the hardest hurtful things he ever experienced in his life.  It was a loss he carried every day and a grief like no other.  The last job he held was in 1999 at Crow Creek High School as an IRG Counselor, again working with the youth.  In 2004 he moved away to Woodward Iowa to live amongst friends and family at which time he was declared permanently disabled and never worked again.

In 2010 on the Yankton Sioux Reservation, he was gifted a chief head dress by his two Hun'ka brothers Loren & Clark Zephier.  A symbolic gesture of being a teacher, leader and mentor amongst and for his people. He then moved to Elgin, Illinois where he was happily married to Susanne Gutschmidt on April 11, 2014.  In November 2014 they moved to Denver, Colorado later making their home in Bennett, Colorado.  He and Susanne had a beautiful family of their own which consisted of their tomcat Charlie Brown and their two dogs Snoopy and Linus.  They built and had a beautiful full life filled with adventure, ceremony, love, honor, loyalty and compassion.  Susanne took great care of our Dad and Papa while he was away from all of us for many years.  Many times they would be at the Emergency Room together due to his health issues.  She stood by him through many trials and obstacles showing and teaching him she loved him unconditionally and that she wasn't going anywhere.  They taught each other patience, strength, resilience and most importantly unconditional love.

Lester was a musician all his life known for playing lead guitar and singing.  When he was a little boy he found a guitar and he taught himself how to play.  He also taught himself how to read sheet music.  Music helped him throughout his entire life.  He was a founding member of the "Medicine Wheel Band" and the "Dakota Cavaliers." His favorite band of all time was the "Beatles."  As with his music he had a strong connection to our spiritual ways of life.  He helped people from all over the world.  He made relatives everywhere he went.  People remember him most for his honesty, truth, humor, love, compassion, strength, wisdom, generosity and guidance.  He was an easy man to talk to, share with and get along with.  He only wanted the best for his people, his relatives and especially his family.  He loved and lived hard every day he walked this earth.  His passing left us with a world without him physically.  His teachings, his love, his lessons will live on through all the lives he touched.  Like he always used to say, "be good relatives and always live the love in your heart."

Lester is survived by his brother David Obago, wife Susanne, his children Christine Obago, Lois & Glen Shields, step sons Pat & Raymond Grey Owl, Hun'ka daughters Delcie Miller, Millie Bridwell & Lana Spence and Hun'ka sons Gerald & Darrell Zephier, Joe, Justin and Jason Shields and his many grandchildren:  Raymond, Ryanna, Brian, Cassie, Shawnna, Glenn, BobbyJ, Les, Calvin and many great grandchildren along with many nieces, nephews, friends and relatives.

Preceding him in death are his parents, Francis & Flavia Obago, his son Lester "Cheeks" Obago, Jr., step-son Douglas Grey Owl, Sisters: Ethelreda Bad Moccasin, Barbara Ross, Agatha Obago, Viola Obago, Anita Koster, Brothers: Lorenzo Obago, Loren Zephier, & Clark Zephier

Lester Raymond Obago, Sr. "Wanbli Gleska Itancan" made his journey to the spirit world on May 13, 2025 at his home on the Crow Creek Reservation.

Lester was born on September 11, 1950 to Flavia (Thick Hair) Obago and Francis Obago in Eagle Butte, SD.  He was the oldest male brother out of 8 siblings.  He attended Ft Thompson Elementary School and Gann Valley High School.  After high school he enlisted in the US Army in 1969 to serve in the Vietnam War and was honorably discharged in 1972.

On July 3rd, 1974 he was united in marriage to Iva Delores Grey Owl and to this union they had three children; Christine Lynn, Lois Roberta & Lester Robert.  They were united in marriage for 32 years until Iva passed away in 2006.  In 1983, he was hired at night watchman/security at the Swift Horse Lodge treatment center at which time he met his older brother Clark Zephier.  Lester then became a Certified AA Counselor and worked at Swift Horse Lodge helping his people with combating and overcoming their addictions until 1990.  Him and his brother Clark began a spiritual journey together to bring our traditional DAKOTA ways of life back to the Crow Creek Reservation.  Through many struggles, tests, trials and perseverance they succeeded in meeting this goal.  There are now many here at Crow Creek who practice and walk our traditional ways of life and for this we are grateful and blessed.

In 1990 Lester began working at Red Horse Lodge an adolescent treatment program.  He worked with the youth from all over the USA who were sent there to get help with their problems.  Many of those youth and children became like his kids and they too attended sweat lodge ceremonies as part of their healing and recovery.  In 1994 he left to live in Albuquerque, NM where he continued his spiritual journey helping and teaching people our ways of life.  He lived there until 1998 at which time he came home to bury his beloved baby son, Lester "Cheeks" Obago, Jr.  Losing his son was one of the hardest hurtful things he ever experienced in his life.  It was a loss he carried every day and a grief like no other.  The last job he held was in 1999 at Crow Creek High School as an IRG Counselor, again working with the youth.  In 2004 he moved away to Woodward Iowa to live amongst friends and family at which time he was declared permanently disabled and never worked again.

In 2010 on the Yankton Sioux Reservation, he was gifted a chief head dress by his two Hun'ka brothers Loren & Clark Zephier.  A symbolic gesture of being a teacher, leader and mentor amongst and for his people. He then moved to Elgin, Illinois where he was happily married to Susanne Gutschmidt on April 11, 2014.  In November 2014 they moved to Denver, Colorado later making their home in Bennett, Colorado.  He and Susanne had a beautiful family of their own which consisted of their tomcat Charlie Brown and their two dogs Snoopy and Linus.  They built and had a beautiful full life filled with adventure, ceremony, love, honor, loyalty and compassion.  Susanne took great care of our Dad and Papa while he was away from all of us for many years.  Many times they would be at the Emergency Room together due to his health issues.  She stood by him through many trials and obstacles showing and teaching him she loved him unconditionally and that she wasn't going anywhere.  They taught each other patience, strength, resilience and most importantly unconditional love.

Lester was a musician all his life known for playing lead guitar and singing.  When he was a little boy he found a guitar and he taught himself how to play.  He also taught himself how to read sheet music.  Music helped him throughout his entire life.  He was a founding member of the "Medicine Wheel Band" and the "Dakota Cavaliers." His favorite band of all time was the "Beatles."  As with his music he had a strong connection to our spiritual ways of life.  He helped people from all over the world.  He made relatives everywhere he went.  People remember him most for his honesty, truth, humor, love, compassion, strength, wisdom, generosity and guidance.  He was an easy man to talk to, share with and get along with.  He only wanted the best for his people, his relatives and especially his family.  He loved and lived hard every day he walked this earth.  His passing left us with a world without him physically.  His teachings, his love, his lessons will live on through all the lives he touched.  Like he always used to say, "be good relatives and always live the love in your heart."

Lester is survived by his brother David Obago, wife Susanne, his children Christine Obago, Lois & Glen Shields, step sons Pat & Raymond Grey Owl, Hun'ka daughters Delcie Miller, Millie Bridwell & Lana Spence and Hun'ka sons Gerald & Darrell Zephier, Joe, Justin and Jason Shields and his many grandchildren:  Raymond, Ryanna, Brian, Cassie, Shawnna, Glenn, BobbyJ, Les, Calvin and many great grandchildren along with many nieces, nephews, friends and relatives.

Preceding him in death are his parents, Francis & Flavia Obago, his son Lester "Cheeks" Obago, Jr., step-son Douglas Grey Owl, Sisters: Ethelreda Bad Moccasin, Barbara Ross, Agatha Obago, Viola Obago, Anita Koster, Brothers: Lorenzo Obago, Loren Zephier, & Clark Zephier