Barbara Dean Cunningham

The family of Barbara Dean Cunningham is deeply saddened to announce her sudden passing on July 18, 2026, at the age of 75.

Barbara, an enrolled member of the Oglala Lakota Tribe and a descendant of the Cherokee and Wichita Tribes, was born on August 29, 1950, in Pine Ridge, South Dakota, the daughter of Bill and Vivian (Conroy) Cunningham.

Barbara's early education began at Saint Patrick's Mission School in Anadarko. Following the family's move to Lawrence, Kansas, she graduated from Lawrence High School in 1968, attended the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education, and later obtained her Master's Degree in Counseling from the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks.

Barbara began her teaching career and service to the Bureau of Indian Affairs with brief stints at Dunseith Indian Day School in Dunseith, North Dakota, and Cheyenne-Eagle Butte Boarding School in Eagle Butte, South Dakota. Then, following in the footsteps of her grandpa, John Conroy, Barbara was hired to work at Flandreau Indian School and taught at the elementary school for several years. She then moved to Lawrence, Kansas, and worked at Haskell Indian Nations University as a counselor and classroom instructor, as well as in many other roles and positions. Barbara poured herself into her work; she enjoyed working with young people, loved her students, and saw them as her own. In 2005, she retired as a GS-15, the highest non-executive grade in the U.S. federal civil service, a career milestone, of which Barbara was extremely proud.

Barbara was always a very hard worker. She held multiple jobs from the age of 16, including working at the bakery at Dillon's in Lawrence, at various places in Flandreau, at Sears in Overland Park, Kansas, and, after she retired from Haskell, back at Dillon's in Lawrence. After moving to Gracemont and Anadarko, she also worked at Walmart for a few years.

Barbara especially loved sewing and was an exceptionally talented seamstress. In her spare time, she meticulously created everything from elaborate Halloween costumes to beautiful ribbon skirts to numerous other projects that she saw as a labor of love.

Barbara loved traveling. She sponsored many student dance groups to powwows across the United States, even taking them to Russia and Germany to perform. She was known for taking spontaneous road trips "up north," but most enjoyed going places with her good friend, Inez, and spending time with the Falcon girls.

Again, following in the footsteps of her grandpa, John - or Popo, as she called him - who was a 32nd Degree Mason, Barbara became a member of the Order of the Eastern Star. In addition, throughout her career and 35 years of dedicated service to the B.I.A., she received numerous service awards, honors, and recognitions.

Barbara was the best big sister and took her role very seriously. She was always caring for those around her and ended every conversation with "Love you." She had the biggest heart, she was very generous, and always had the best interest of her family and others in mind.

Remaining to cherish Barbara's memory are her brother, John Monroe Cunningham; sisters, Coleen Cunningham and Cassie Melton and her husband Michael; nephew, Kyle Cunningham, his wife Luena, and their children, Evelyn and Cassian; nephew, Tyler Melton, his wife Hannah, and their daughter, Camila; her uncle, Walter John Conroy, cousin Michelle Kobrick, and her daughter Jenifer; her aunt Betty (Cunningham) Shirley; her cousin Jodene (Irving) Smith, her husband Gary, and their daughter Autumn; her best friend and special sister, Inez Crawford; special granddaughters Hannah, Mia, Summer Sky, and Jaella Falcon; Victoria Houghton and family; her tiny beloved fur baby Finney; and a host of other relatives and friends.

Preceding Barbara in death are her parents, Bill and Vivian (Conroy) Cunningham; her grandparents, John and Marjorie (Lamar) Conroy, and James Monroe and Bessie (Pendleton) Cunningham; her sister-in-law LaDonna (Chalepah) Cunningham; her aunt Elfrieda (Conroy) Irving and her husband Seth; her cousin Francis "Sonny" Irving; her aunt Wanda (Cunningham) Robinson and her husband Arnold; and her uncles Homer Cunningham and Kenneth Cunningham.

The family would like to give special appreciation to Dr. Jay Belt, whom Barbara thought the world of and considered not only her doctor but also a friend, for his compassionate care and friendship.

A visitation and graveside are to be announced at a later date.

Services are under the direction of Ray & Martha's Funeral Home, Anadarko