Blanche Barbara Ruby White-Miguel

Blanche Barbara Ruby White-Miguel, 28, a member of the Prairie Island Indian Community and the Thunder Clan of Winnebago, Nebraska, died Tuesday, May 5, 2026 at the Mayo Clinic Health Systems, Methodist Hospital, in Rochester.

She was born June 1, 1997 in Rochester to Sandee White and Vince Miguel. She grew up on Prairie Island and graduated from Red Wing High School, class of 2015. She went on to graduate from Little Priest Tribal College with a certificate in Winnebago Language.

Blanche was immensely proud of her heritage and spent her life sharing her skills with her community. She was a role model who embraced her role as a Dakota and Winnebago woman. Blanche worked for the tribe with Land and Environment by learning and also teaching plant identification and conservation. She grew up attending and participating in Pow Wows and was a member of the Pow Wow Committee. She danced Women’s Traditional, performing for multiple dignitaries and organizations. She was a talented artist and taught classes on beadwork, par fleche, and quill work. She specialized in graphic design and she worked with both the Minnesota Twins and the Timberwolves to design their Native American Heritage Month logos and merchandise. She found many ways to volunteer her time and talents to benefit and support her community. She was an active member of the Native American Church where she sang around the drum.

She was a fantastic auntie to family and hunka relatives alike. She loved children and was always happy to help. Blanche had a great sense of humor and a dry wit. She was great at getting people to laugh and she always had a smile on her face. She was silly and loved to tease. She was also a great storyteller. She made friends wherever she went and was easy to get along with. She was slow to anger and eager to forgive.

Her big heart and giving spirit will be missed by many, including her father, Vince Miguel; siblings, Whitney (Paul Jenson) White and Reuben Crow Feather; nieces and nephews, Hailey White, Belle White-Jenson, Everell Whitehawk, Waylon Whitehawk, Sean Bearheels, Reuben Crow Feather, Jr., and Deacon Miller; great niece and nephew, Vivian Whitehawk and Leon Whitehawk; and aunts and uncle, Deb White, Ed Thompson and Marilyn Thompson; as well as many cousins and other treasured hunka family members; and her beloved dog, Bambi.

She is preceded in death by her mom, Sandee White-Miguel, aunts and uncles, Albert White, David White, Sr., Noah White Jr., Mary Morgan, Vivian Mireau, and Nora Starr; grandparents, Noah, Sr. and Blanche White and Darell and Barbara Miguel.

Her funeral service will be 11 a.m., Friday, May 8, 2026 at the Prairie Island Community center. A visitation will be from approximately 1 p.m. on Thursday, May 7, 2026 until the time of her service on Friday. The procession from the Tipsy Turtle will begin at 12 noon. On Thursday there will be a meal beginning at 5 p.m., followed by Native American Church devotions. Burial will be at the Community Cemetery. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.mahnfamilyfuneralhome.com