Birdie Havo

Dates

Obituary

Birdie Havo, 69, of Mitchell, SD, went to her heavenly home  Tuesday, December 20, 2022, at her home under hospice care. Funeral services will be 10:30 AM Thursday, December 29, at Faith Missionary Church in Mitchell. Burial will be at Graceland Cemetery in Mitchell. Visitation will be Wednesday from 5-7:00 PM at Faith Missionary Church. Arrangements by Bittner Funeral Chapel.

Birdie May Redhorse Havo was born on February 18, 1953 to Alfred Eugene Redhorse and Hannah Elkhead Redhorse in Rapid City, SD.

Birdie grew up in a large family in Rapid City with numerous aunties, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews. For a while, she also lived on the Cheyenne River Reservation with her niece, Shirley, and during their time there they had exciting adventures on the hills and banks surrounding the Moreau River.

On July 3, 1973, Birdie found peace, redemption, transformation, and hope by crying out to God to save her from the wrong path she was headed down. Birdie became a Christian and the course of her life was changed forever.

In her twenties, Birdie attended Brainerd Indian School near Hot Springs, SD and Northwest Indian Bible School in Alberton, MT, where she received her Biblical education. Birdie then entered the ministry, first, laboring for Society of Indian Missions on reservations in South Dakota, as well as New Mexico. She then went overseas to Papua New Guinea to work in the education department at Papua New Guinea Bible Institute and in her husband’s home village of Haniak in the East Sepik Province of Papua New Guinea. Throughout her life, Birdie continued to minister to her Native American people including on the Lower Brule Reservation and the Standing Rock Reservation. In her later years, Birdie considered it a great privilege to work as a boys dorm matron at Northwest Indian Bible School in Alberton, MT.

Birdie attended the Faith Missionary Church in Mitchell, and enjoyed the ministry of Pastor Tim Stafford and the church family.

Birdie is survived by her husband of 31 years, Moses Havo; her beloved son, Christopher; and Edgar Jr. and Mateo Uribe who she considered her grandsons. Also surviving her are the three nieces she grew up with, Shirley Fiddler of Mitchell, Joan Steel of Eagle Rock, VA, and Patty Redhorse of Chicago, IL; as well as numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her sisters, Marie Fiddler and Gladys Redhorse.

The family wishes to express their deep appreciation to the Avera Grasslands Dialysis team, Avera@Home, and Pastor Tim Stafford and church family of Faith Missionary Church.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Faith Missionary Church Building Fund or Faith Bible School multipurpose building; 1009 E 6th Ave., Mitchell, SD 57301.

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