Mayda J. Bartlett began her journey on October 18, 2021 in Pierre, SD surrounded by her beloved family.
Mayda Jean Brink was born in Rosebud, SD at the Rosebud Indian Hospital to Fred and Ruth Brink on October 29th, 1952. Mayda was the third of four children from Fred and Ruth. Her siblings are Nordine, Sharon, and Robbyn.
She grew up on the family farm by the Big White River in north Mellette County SD. She loved riding her horses, Silver and Lady, and doing riding tricks, which included standing on her horse’s back and racing with her! She attended Okaton school 1st grade through 8th grade. She attended her freshman year at Murdo. She had fond memories of riding on the basket (cable car) to cross the river. Sometimes, the river would be really full, and the bottom of the basket would touch the water. It would go flying across the river, and stop in the middle. Nordine, Sharon and Mayda would have to pull themselves across the rest of the river. They would then climb in the pick up and drive to school in Okaton. She attended her sophomore and junior year at White River, where she met Ted Bartlett. She met him at a dance, when he sat down beside her, while sitting on her skirt. She wasn’t able to move, but didn’t want to say anything! They were married on Jan 19th, 1970. They had 4 children, Tevis, Onna, Collin and Tj Martin. They lived in a variety of places, such as Fort Hood, Texas, where Tevis was born while Ted was stationed there while in the Army. They also spent a year in Germany, while Ted was stationed there in the army, when Tevis was 2 years old. They returned to White River when Ted left the Army. Onna was born and they lived in a white house on the corner of the White River School. Collin was born, and then they moved to their current house in Horse Creek when Collin was 11 months old. Tj Martin was born a day after their 10th anniversary. She lived in Horse Creek until her death.
Mayda completed her GED while raising her children. Mayda first started her teaching career in education at the Headstart level in White River as a teacher aide at 19 years of age. She fell in love with kids and teaching and kept on going in the field of education from there! The Follow Through Program in Kindergarten in the White River School District was her next experience and she took classes to become a teacher. As her children grew up, she earned her Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education from Black Hills State University in the spring of 1980. She completed most of her classes at Sinte Gleska University in Mission, SD. In the fall of 1982, she continued her education in the Administrative Program at Penn State University at State College, Pennsylvania. Upon graduation, Mayda’s first teaching job was 5th grade at Crazy Horse School. Her lifelong love of horses continued and she bought a horse named Foxy with her first teacher’s paycheck! She taught 5th grade for 2 years at Crazy Horse School. After being stranded in a blizzard and having to walk to a house near the road and stay at a stranger’s house overnight, she decided to work closer to home. Mayda then worked at the White River Middle School. She taught 6, 7, & 8 grade, Math, Science and Social Studies. She taught Onna those classes her 8th grade year.
Mayda had made the decision to change schools every 2 years to learn more but when she came to Rosebud Elementary, she felt she “came home” and had stayed for 28 years! Although 5th grade was her favorite grade level to teach, her new favorite was 3rd grade. Mayda meshed her love of kids and her love for teaching to create motivating projects to help students learn more and to foster thinking skills. During those years, she had fond memories of her haunted reading centers, where she had her students create a space within the classroom where each group read a book to the K-1 grade, 2-3 grade and 4-5 grade classes. Mayda loved to dress as a witch, with green face paint! She had the witch cackle down pat! Her students also loved cooking with Mayda, as they would double and triple recipes for sugar cookies and Indian tacos to practice their math skills. She also took them on field trips to the Black Hills to learn how to put up tipis, and learn about their Native culture. Another fun project was to write their own autobiographies. Throughout the years, Mayda taught 5th grade, 4th and 5th grade combination class, and eventually ended her teaching career teaching 3rd grade. She has had a lot of students throughout the years, which included teaching Tevis in Headstart, Onna in 8th grade, and her grandchildren, Shalita, Tavish, Tiara, and Nile, at Rosebud Elementary. Once she retired, she was able to teach her great grandson Jaxon for his 1st grade year.
Along with teaching, Mayda had a passion for horses. She grew up on them, and passed on her love of horses to her kids. Upon returning from Penn State, she bought her 1st horse, Foxy. That was the start of her herd of horses. She has had many fun horses along the way, and had a passion for watching her kids rodeo, and then watching her grandchildren rodeo. She loved traveling to the different rodeos, which took her to Iowa for Jr high and High School Rodeos, Gallup, New Mexico for Jr High School Nationals, Wyoming for High School Nationals and College Rodeos, Colorado for Little Britches Nationals, and Oklahoma for Little Britches Nationals, throughout the years. Her current herd has 14 horses. Each one of them has a special relationship with Mayda.
Mayda was an avid reader. She would read anything non-fiction that she could get her hands on. She loved to learn new things, and reading would teach her new things.
She loved to learn new ways of healing herself and others. She believed in natural, traditional and alternative medicine. She often shared her healing touch with family friends and especially her horses. Her nickname is the Horse Doctor!
Once she retired, Mayda combined her passion for teaching and love of horses through educating kids to ride and care for horses at the Sinte Gleska University Ranch. She was still working there upon her death.
Mayda was preceded in death by her parents, Fred and Ruth Brink, Sister Wilma Schowalter, Brother Clifford Brink, and son Tj Martin Eliot Bartlett. She is survived by her husband, Ted Bartlett of 51 years, brother Nodine & Judy Brink of Murdo, SD, Sisters Sharon & Terry Brandis of Belle Fourche, SD, Robbyn & Chris Huddleston of Hermiston, Oregon, sons Tevis & Katrina Bartlett of Lafayette, Indiana, Collin & Luci Bartlett of White River, SD, Daughter Onna Bartlett of Sioux City, Iowa, Grandchildren Shalita Bartlett, Tavish & Carrie Bartlett, Ayla Bartlett, Laurana Bartlett, Tiara Bartlett, Catherine Bartlett, Hunter Bartlett, Tania Bartlett, Gracia Bartlett, Brendy Bartlett, Mesa Bartlett, Dally Lu Bartlett, and Great Grandson Jaxon Bartlett, along with a host of cousins, nieces and nephews.
Service will be held Saturday, October 23rd, at 11:00 am (MT) at White River Event Center: 3rd Street, White River, SD.