Casey Thomas

"Yunjkhan wanbli cha u kayapi.  (pronounced "Unkan blicha ooocopy")"  (Sioux)

"Das weikopfseeadler hat fassen ihm das hause."  (German)

When he was young... Casey Thomas learned Sioux from a priest at school.

W. "Casey" Thomas, 194x

He also learned German at home from his immigrant family 

Early American pioneer sod busting homesteaders. 

He came through poverty, the great Depression and life on the South Dakota prairies 
With a strong sense of family values

The keen eye of a craftsman 

A great sense of humor 

An affection for the Sioux and German languages.

He also had strong faith in “Hokah”, or “Gott” or God.

When those who knew him think of him 

Many snapshots of a wonderful man, father and grandfather come to mind.

So join me on a little journey through some of them... please.  

I will share a snapshot and I want you to participate in this by saying, or thinking, “hear, hear” with all the conviction you feel.  Casey will really get a kick out of this I guarantee.

Here we go (!):

The strong, callused hands of a man who loved to work with wood (“Hear. Hear!”)

The pleasure and concentration in his eyes as he played a game, any game (“Hear. Hear!”)

The curiosity and delight of a man who loved tools of any kind (“Hear. Hear!”)

His patience as a teacher of craftsmanship.

(“Hear. Hear!”)

His respectful approach to his customers…always (“Hear. Hear!”)

The thoughtful pause to consider the merits of a joke…most often followed by an ear-to-ear grin and a scrunched up face that said, “Das ist Gut!” (“Hear. Hear!”)

The timber of his voice as he spoke your name, forcefully and with love.  “My, My, My” that was good (“Hear. Hear!”)

The mischief in his eyes when he referred to someone affectionately as a “dikschniflik” and the joy he showed when teaching it to his grandchildren (“Hear. Hear!”)

The nearest translation I can up with for this would be "knucklehead."

The unconditional, nonjudgmental love for his family, his children, his grandchildren and all who were close to him (“Hear. Hear!”)

Okay thank you!

Wendelin "Casey" Thomas, 1997

Now, let’s consider Casey’s final hour.

At separate times during that hour his daughter Julie; sons Butch, Don, Chuck and Danny stepped outside Casey's Black Hills house and each time, they saw an eagle flying overhead. 

They each thought that the great bird had come for him.  As Casey would often say, “Isn’t that nice?!”

And so…

Yunjkhan wanbli cha u kayapi.  (unkan blicha ooocopy)

Das weikopfseeadler hat fassen ihm das hause.

Which is Sioux, and German for; 
“The eagle... has taken him home.”

Well-done Casey Thomas. Happy Father's Day for now and for always. 


He was the father of my bride... now of forty-four years.  I loved him and was fortunate to be able to tell him so before he passed.