Rita Ward Enright was born on October 19, 1926 at Old Cheyenne Agency, SD to Buck and Florence (LaCompte) Ward. She grew up on the family ranch in Corson County, north of Timber Lake, SD. She attended school at Bader School, Pierre Indian School and graduated from Wakapala High School in 1944. She graduated from Haskell Institute at Lawrence, Kansas in 1946. She worked at the Bureau of Indian Affairs offices in Pine Ridge, SD

On December 25, 1947, she was united in marriage to Dean Enright at Timber Lake, SD.
They spent the first 20 years of their married life ranching north of Timber Lake. During this time, five children were born to them; Rita Lynn, Juanita, Dakotah, DeAnn, and Wiley. In 1966, they sold the ranch and moved to Brookings, SD so that Dean could attend South Dakota State University. They later lived in Colorado and Wyoming before retiring in Nisland in 1985. She has resided near Spearfish since May of this year.

She was a 25-year member of Extensions Clubs; she was an original member of the Craft Club at Nisland and was a member till the time of her death. She was a 4-H leader when her children were young, belonged to the Nisland Legion Auxiliary, Butte-Lawrence County Fair Board Superintend, Nisland Town Board member and has made over 75 quilts for the long-term care veterans at Fort Meade.

Rita passed from this life on Saturday morning, July, 23, 2005 at Belle Fourche Health Care Center. She was 78 years of age.

Rita is survived by her loving husband, Dean, of Spearfish, four daughters; Rita Lynn Enright of Sacramento, CA, Juanita (Melvin) Pittman of Nisland, SD, Dakotah Boyd of Sacramento, CA and DeAnn Enright of Sturgis, SD. One son, Wiley Enright of Nisland, SD. Her grandchildren; Pandianne, Wall, Ross, CharLee Pittman of Nisland, SD and Jared Montoya of Sacramento, CA and one great-granddaughter, Alice Montoya. Three brothers; Ken Ward, Timber Lake, SD, Montgomery Ward, Oregon and Lawrence Ward of Utah. And two sisters; Katherine Walters, CA and Mary White, WA.

She was preceded in death by her parents and four brothers; Jim, Bob, Dick, and Bill Ward.

Funeral services for Rita will be held Wednesday morning, July 27, 2005 at 10:00 AM at the Nisland Independent Community Church with Pastor Brad Ableseth officiating. Visitation will be Tuesday, July 26, 2005 from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm at the Funeral Home of the Northern Hills in Belle Fourche and on Wednesday morning from 9:00 am to 10:00 am at the church in Nisland.
Burial will follow at Black Hills National Cemetery in Sturgis at 2:00 pm.

A memorial has be established to the Nisland Cemetery to complete the front gate, one of Rita's projects.