 Wilson Delano Kitto-Tribal Elder
Wilson Delano Kitto was born January 21, 1934, at Flandreau to Zora Kitto and Harry Jones. He lived here until he was four years old and moved to Pipestone, Minnesota and attended Pipestone Indian School for seven years. His family moved to Minneapolis when he was 14 years old and when he was 16 years old he moved near San Diego, California. He graduated from Ocean Beach High School.
Wilson said: “I had every kids dream; I lived by the  beach and went there before school, and after school I would come home and change to go swimming. My mother worked in the meat pack plants during the wartime. She met and married my stepfather, Joe Ortiz. My brother and sister, Norman Lee Kitto and Mary Lou Kitto are both deceased. After high school I worked at Twenty Mule Company, mining borax at Mohave, California. I worked there for seven years as a laborer then a welder. It was my first big job, and it was in the desert. After awhile, I got tired of the hot, dry, dusty desert. The sand storms actually pitted the paint on cars and car insurance was not available to people working in the desert. I moved to Cleveland, Ohio, went to welding school and worked as a welder on overhead cranes and ore boats. The ore boats came off the Great Lakes and needed repair.”
Wilson was 30 years old when he got married and had a son, Norman and an adopted son, Rick Kitto. His eyesight was being affected because of welding so he moved on to Minneapolis, Minnesota and was a welder for American Hoist, and welded on crane booms. He decided he needed to switch jobs so he went to school for nurse aide and worked at Abbott NorthWestern Hospital. He was stationed in the orthopedic surgery ward. Wilson said: “I worked at Abbott Northwestern for 15 years; I retired from there August 16, 1991. I regret retiring so early since I feel I could still be working. I love working with people and helping people. I have regretted retiring early since my health has been good. I also liked living in Minneapolis so my son Norman could receive special help there for speech therapy. Minnesota is a great place to help elders and children in need. They go all out to help people with disabilities and special needs.”
Wilson and Norman moved back to Flandreau in 1991. His son Norman is a CHR for the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe’s Health Clinic and his son Rick works for Minnesota Company near Marshall, Minnesota. Wilson is an Elder with the First Presbyterian Church and serves on the Tribal  Health Board. He likes to fish, travel and his specialty is helping cook and sell tripe and hominy soup and fry bread at the annual FSST Wacipi. Wilson said: “My good health is now is because the good Lord gave me a reason to continue living after I had a heart attack in 1981. I had an out of body experience during my heart attack.”
Wilson said his biggest joy is kids, all kids. He said: “I just wish the kids would finish high school and go on to college. They need it now days to make a living. They should go see more of this world than Flandreau and see how much beauty we have in our own backyard. The U.S. has so much here to see and visit. There are lots of interesting and nice people to meet. I never regretted living and working in different areas. I love to travel around and stop at rest areas and take in the sights.”
Wilson’s typical day begins at 6 am. He visits his son Norman every morning and has coffee with him until he goes to work. Wilson eats an early lunch at the center at 10:30 am. He takes a daily nap every day at 1:30 pm. He said: “I have no set schedule; I do as I please, visit my son Rick at Pipestone, and my pal is Litefoot, my nine year old Cocker Spaniel/Poodle mix dog.”
(Carol Robertson interviewed Wilson Kitto for the FSST Monthly Newsletter, February 2002).
|
