Winona 'Nona Sioux' Longee, 35, died Sept. 14, 2025, in Poplar. She was born on June 21, 1990, to Sarah Longee and Russell Fly. She is survived by sons, Raylando James Red Eagle, Dashaun Jamal Red Eagle, Dreyton Jayce Dean Red Eagle and Jathan Reuben Russell Red Eagle; mother, Sarah (Rich) Conquering Bear; sisters, Iris Jean Youpee, Diondra Lee Fast Horse and Unique Leigh Fast Horse; brothers, Emerson Comes Last Jr., Rain Sky Fast Horse and Dion A. Fast Horse; grandmother, Verlynn Longee; father, Russell Fly; and siblings, Colin Fly, Josiah Fly and Isabella Fly. Funeral services were held Monday, Sept. 22, at the Poplar Cultural Center. Interment followed at the Poplar City Cemetery. Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel was entrusted with arrangements.

Earlene Lucy Jones, 65, died Sept. 14, 2025, in Poplar. She was born on July 9, 1960, to Virginia Big Talk and Earl Jones Jr. She graduated from Poplar High School in 1979. She worked at the Poplar Hospital as a CNA. She also worked for many years at the Fort Peck Tribes Minerals Department. She later stopped working and became a homemaker and was always cooking or baking something delicious. She made awesome sugar cookies and peanut butter cookies and her peanut butter frosting was the bomb. She met Russell “Schmo” Black Thunder. To this union, their only son Matthew Earl Black Thunder was born. They later separated, but remained very good friends throughout the years. Matt was their world. She was very fashionable and was always dressed to the nines, matching from head to toe. With her hair down to her knees, she always a smile on her face. She was very passionate about her gardening and growing her sunflowers and always shared her harvest with everyone. She was an advocate of food sovereignty. She was also active in community organizations. She will be remembered for having a loving and caring heart. No matter who it was, she always stopped to listen and lend a helping hand. She gave her heart to God and attended church and Bible study at the Pentecostal Church of God. She loved going to church and held a special place for her church family. She was an animal lover. She would often feed the stray animals downtown. She is survived by her mother, Vivian Jones; sisters, DeAnna Jones and Marta Jones; brother, Mevin Hale Jr. of Englewood, Colo.; adopted son, Octavio Williams of Billings; and numerous grandchildren. She was preceded in death by brothers, Tony Lee, Guy, William Earl, Darrell Moses and Earl Jones III. Funeral services were held on Wednesday, Sept. 24, at 11 a.m. at the Poplar Cultural Center. Interment followed at Poplar City Cemetery. Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel was entrusted with arrangements.

Albert W. Foote Sr., 71, of Wolf Point died Sept. 9, 2025, in Colorado. A wake will be held at 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 26, at the Poplar Cultural Center. A funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 27, at the Poplar Cultural Center. Interment will follow at the Box Elder Cemetery in Poplar. Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel was entrusted with arrangements.

Matthew Earl “Matt-E” Black Thunder, 41, died Sept. 14, 2025, in Poplar. He was born to Russell E. Black Thunder and Earlene L. Jones July 2, 1984, in Sidney. Like in many native families, he was raised by his grandparents, Flora May Eagle Boy and Jay Sparvier. During those years living on “the Hill,” he spent a lot of time at his aunts’ and uncles’ home (Allen and Verdne). He and the boys would play kick the can, basketball, video games and take nature walks on Sundays. He attended Poplar Schools and graduated from Poplar High School. In 2011, he met Adriana Ruiz. They were married in 2017 and he gained bonus daughters, Kahomi, Angela, Patricia and Audrey. They divorced in 2022, but remained friends. He was currently working the garden at F.P.C.C. — which he loved to do. In past years, he was employed to do fencing. He was in pool leagues and enjoyed playing and being around his friends. He lived to cruise, sip and jam his music. He is survived by his grandmother, Vivian Jones; and sister, Yolanda Parshall. Funeral services were held Wednesday, Sept. 24, at 11 a.m. at the Poplar Cultural Center. Interment followed at Poplar City Cemetery. Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel was entrusted with arrangements.

Ronald Joseph Yellow Hammer Jr., Wambdi Walandiya (High Eagle), 67, of Brockton died Sept. 12, 2025, at his home. He was born Sept. 20, 1957, in Poplar, the son of Ronald Yellow Hammer and Carole Spotted Bird. He was raised by his grandmother, Nancy Two Shields of Cannonball, N.D., on the Standing Rock Reservation. He went to school various places. He attended Mormon school in Idaho during the Mormon placement his seventh and eighth grade years. He then went back to Poplar High School his freshman year of school and went back to living with his grandma Nancy where he attended Solen High School in Solen, N.D. He graduated from Solen High School in 1975. After he graduated high school, he enlisted in the Army in 1975, but was honorably discharged in 1976. He graduated from United Tribes Technical College with an AAS degree. During his time attending Solen, he met Sandra Yellow Hammer and they married Oct. 14, 1977. From this union, came six children and niece that they raised since she was 6 months old as their own. They moved to Montana in the 1980s where they made their home and raised all seven of their children. He was working with the Fort Peck Tribes Community Service Program as the elder meal delivery. He worked 12 years and 4 months for the Community Service Program He retired in 2023 for a year, but came back to work for the elder program again. He had previous jobs in his years of life. He worked at A& S Industries for over 10 years, the Fort Peck Youth Detention Center as a correctional officer, a cop and he was a firefighter with Sandra for many years. He enjoyed powwows and listening to music. He had a variety of music which included old country, but what he listened to a lot was our drum beat powwow music. He enjoyed family time, cook outs and just visiting. He loved to go to sporting events, especially when his grandchildren were involved. He was a fisherman and hunter in his younger years and would take his children our fishing and provide meat for the family when he would go hunting. He was a devoted father. He was always there to offer guidance, love and a hearty laugh. He cherished family gatherings and his presence at holiday and celebrations brought warmth and joy to those around him. He is survived by his six children, Jennifer Yellow Hammer, Elizabeth Yellow Hammer, Lauren Yellow Hammer, Wilma Yellow Hammer, Ronnie Yellow Hammer and Joseph Yellow Hammer Sr.; one niece they raised as their own, Avis Bigtrack; numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren; brother, Errol Yellow Hammer; and sister, and Tonda White Lance. He was preceded in death by a brother, Bradley Yellow Hammer; and sister, Keva Spotted Bird. A wake was held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 24, at the Brockton Cultural Center. A funeral service will be held Thursday, Sept. 25, at 1 p.m. at the Brockton Cultural Center. Burial will be at the Yellow-Hammer Family Cemetery. Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel was entrusted with the arrangements.

Willard Allen “Bill” Johnson, 81, of Circle died in the early morning hours of Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025. He was born to Archie and Marjorie (Olson) Johnson on Dec. 16, 1943, in Pendelton, Ore., the eldest of their children. The family made its way back to Montana after World War II and settled on the Johnson Homestead, 20 miles north of Circle, where they lived a typical farm life along his paternal grandparents and his siblings that soon followed. His mother and grandmother both died when he was 12 years old and he chose to live with his grandfather, Lage Johnson. He was very close with him and spent the rest of his growing up years with him. Lage died when Bill was 17 and, after that, Bill found work in the oilfields of California and Colorado. It was in 1966 when he decided to come back to Circle for a visit that he found his “Ol Kraut” waiting table in the Midway Cafe. He was persistent and finally persuaded Marian Haber to marry him and that’s what they did on July 16, 1967. They were married just a week shy of 57 years, when Marian died on July 9, 2024. The first year of their marriage was spent in Circle and, then in 1968, son Garry was born and they moved to Sidney where Bill found work at the Dodge Dealer. In 1969, they moved to the former Glasgow Air Force Base, where he worked for a fiberglass company. In 1971, they moved back to Circle where he went to the work for the City of Circle in the Public Works Department, patching streets and hauling garbage. They added two daughters to the family soon after, with Kristie in 1972 and Becky in 1973. He was always a hard worker. Along with working at the city, he also took a job milking dairy cows for Richard Gackle. He decided a few years after Gackles quit milking that the family needed to have a dairy of their own. So, in the early 1980s, the family milked 65 head of Holstein cows until the cheese plant in Beach, N.D., closed. The cows were sold and the family moved to Grandpa Haber’s farm. He tied his hand at a couple of different jobs until he landed a job in maintenance at Circle Public Schools. He worked at the school for over 37 years before he finally retired. He loved his motorcycles and he and Marian rode thousands of miles on three different Honda Goldwings. They loved touring the U.S. and Canada on their bike and made many friends along the way before they finally decided to hang up the keys. He was always pretty proud of his children, but that was elevated when he became a grandfather and great-grandfather. He enjoyed having them come visit and often talked about them. He is survived by his son, Garry of Circle; daughters, Kristie Gabbert of Dickinson, N.D., and Becky Fuhs of Glendive; three grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife of 57 years, Marian; brother, Wilbur; and sister, Winnie Pugh. Family will receive friends on Friday, Sept. 26, from 4-6 p.m. at Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home in Circle. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, Sept. 27, at 2 p.m. at the Faith Assembly of God Church in Circle. Interment will follow in the family lot of the Riverview Cemetery in Circle.

Dennis Wayne Simons, 63, died at his home in Poplar on Sept. 9, 2025. Hes was born to Mary (Anderson) Gonzalez and Jim Simons on May 2, 1962. He grew up on B Street in Poplar where children would come from all over town to play. They would play kick the can, kickball and hockey by freezing the street (they would sneak water from the houses until they were caught). He attended Poplar Schools, playing the sports basketball, football and wrestling. He also sang in choir and played both the drums and trumpet in band. He graduated from Poplar High School in 1980. After high school, he met and married Delrae Reddoor and, from that union, Winona Andrea was born. He then met and married Farrell Red-Dog and, from that union, Antoinette was born, creating a blended family, and he had two more children, Maurice and Roxanne Morsette. He was a devoted, hard worker and began his career in the oilfield. He worked as a roustabout for Jim Jones in the oilfield and then started his own roustabout company for many years. He moved to Columbus with his family in 1998 and worked at Timberweld until they moved back to Poplar. He resumed his work in the oilfield, working as a pumper for Continental Resources. He farmed in the summers on his vacation. He eventually left the oilfield and was working full-time farming for Scott McGowan at the time of his death. He loved fishing, hunting, pool, horseshoes, golfing, skiing, water skiing and camping with his family. He enjoyed nature and animals. He hunted for arrow heads and heart rocks to give all his girls. He valued his family and friends above all else. He is survived by his wife, Farrell Simons; two daughters, Andrea Simons-Mrgudich and Antoinette Simons; four granddaughters; one great-grandson; brother, Jim Simons; and stepmother, Mary Lou Simons. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Roxanne Morsette; son, Maurice Morsette; and brother, Alvin “Junior Simons” Eagle. Funeral services were held Monday, Sept. 15, at the Poplar Cultural Center. Interment was at the Poplar City Cemetery. Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel was entrusted with the arrangements.

Joan Theresa Small, lovingly known as “Joanie”, gained her angel wings on Sept. 5, 2025, surrounded by family at Faith Lutheran Home in Wolf Point, Mont. She was 85. Born to Agnes Marie (Morin) and Daniel Aloysius Garfield, Joanie was the second of 12 children. She attended Immaculate Conception School through sixth grade. In her youth, she often traveled to Milwaukee and California to help her aunts with childcare, while also helping raise her younger siblings at home. She worked as a dishwasher at the Wolf Point Café, Stockman’s Café, and the Triangle Café. As a young adult, Joanie moved to California, where she met her husband, John Small, while attending vocational school. Their marriage was brief, but it brought her greatest blessing — her daughter, Desiree “Deedee.” She later returned to Wolf Point to raise Deedee and be near family. There, she put down lasting roots, dedicating herself to loved ones, her community and her strong Catholic faith. Joan was a devout Catholic. She was a member of the Tekawitha group and was able to travel throughout the U.S. to Tekawitha Conferences. The highlight was when she able to go to the tomb of St. Kateri Tekawitha in Canada. She was also a member of St. Theresa’s group. Joanie will be remembered for her generosity, strength and warmth. She found joy in simple pleasures and creative pursuits, especially sewing, painting, baking and scrapbooking. Above all, she took pride in her family, speaking of them daily with love and gratitude. Survivors include her daughter, Desiree (Alvin) Azure; grandchildren, Jasmine Azure, Thomasine Azure and Michael (Grace) Azure; great-grandchildren, Alvin and Vincent; siblings, Larry (Sheena) Garfield, Charles (Janice) Garfield, Leon (Ruth) Garfield, Vance Garfield, Marshelle Lambert, Desiree Garfield, Nancy Nordwick, Cecila Peters and Cleo Shumway; and lifelong friend, Carol Wetsit. She was preceded in death by her parents, Daniel and Agnes Garfield; former husband, John Small; brothers, Daniel Garfield Jr. and Douglas Garfield; and nephews, Ronnie, Dewayne, and Mervin Garfield, Eddie Peters and Chad Garfield; and niece, Chandlor Garfield. A prayer service was held Thursday, Sept. 11, at 6 p.m. at Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel. Funeral Mass was Friday, Sept. 12, at 10 a.m. at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Wolf Point. Interment followed at the Greenwood Cemetery in Wolf Point. Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel was entrusted with the arrangements. Grandmother’s Love By Thomasine Azure To know true love is your grandmother’s love. The smell of fresh cookies as she bakes like heavens above. A woman whose strength, perseverance and kindness has guided me from the start. A woman who will love me no matter what, through thick and thin, with all her heart. As long as my siblings were well behaved, she’d give us a cookie and mint when we’d get home. A grandmother’s love is one of a kind So bright like a diamond it shines. A woman of little words but her eyes and soul tell a story. A woman so blessed and brave in all her glory I will always remember the nights we spent together. Her beauty is unmatched and divine. Her grace and warmness ages like fine wine. She taught me how to be a lady, and right from wrong. She taught me how to colour, how to write, and how to sing my favorite song. Saturday night mass was always special, sitting with Grandma Aggie, and Grandma Joan, Cuddling, watching movies, and snuggling forever. You have taught me so much, and for that I am thankful. I am blessed to have you as my grandma; you are my angel. (Paid Obituary)

Vivian R. (Bridges) Shumsky, 88, of Glasgow, formerly of Tucson, Ariz., died at Valley View Home on July 3, 2025. She was born in Glasgow on Feb. 25, 1937, to Dwight and Grace (Hill) Bridges who resided in Frazer. During World War II, she and her brother accompanied their parents to many defense plants. At that time, they, like so many, lived in a travel trailer. When they returned to Frazer, she entered school there. In her youth, she enjoyed horseback riding, ice skating, singing and playing piano. After graduating from Wolf Point High School in 1955, she worked at MDU in Wolf Point as an account representative. She would meet her future husband, Glen, at the Sweet Shop Cafe in Wolf Point after he returned from military service in Japan. They married Aug. 16, 1958. His occupation in construction management and safety would evolve, taking them to many places in the lower 48. She and family would live in many places during her lifetime: Cut Bank; Lubbock, Texas; Burnsville, Miss.; Etters, Pa.; Augusta, Ga.; and more. She was a devoted mother for their two children. She served as a tidy housekeeper, the family accountant and a moving expert. Her many interests included baking chocolate cake, sketching, sewing Barbie doll clothes (and much of Sheryl's early wardrobe), painting and staining antiques. She had several cameras for photography and archived her photos in albums. Throughout her travels, pets were an important part of everyday life. She was preceded in death by her brother, Dean Bridges; and her husband, Glen Shumsky. She is survived by two children, Kevin Shumsky of Bozeman and Sheryl Shumsky of Seattle, Wash.; two grandchildren; and one great granddaughter. A graveside service will be at Greenwood Cemetery at 1 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 25.

Connie Clements (née Loendorf), 77, of Centennial, Colo., passed away on Sept. 2, 2025. Connie was born on July 3, 1948 in Wolf Point to Leonard and Lucille Loendorf. She was a graduate of Wolf Point High School and Northern Montana College. Upon moving to Denver, Colo., in 1968, Connie worked as a legal secretary for 14 years before leaving to open her own childcare facility, which she ran independently for almost 20 years. She finished her career working to provide care to older adults in an assisted living facility. Connie was an avid reader of books and loved spending time working in her beautiful gardens. Connie was preceded in death by her parents, Leonard and Lucille; her brother, Ron; and nephew, Quin. She is survived by her spouse of 47 years, Mark; her children, Lauren (Jason) Clements and Darren (Brittney) Clements; and her granddaughter, Aaliyah. Connie is also survived by her siblings Gene (Debra) Loendorf and Marvin (Leni) Loendorf of Wolf Point, Janice Dietz of Billings, JoAnn (Don) Lekvold of Scobey, Patsy Novac of Butte, Eileen (Larry) Heser of Wolf Point and dozens of nieces and nephews. A celebration of life will take place at Hudson Gardens in Littleton, Colo., on Oct. 12, at 10 a.m. (Paid Obituary)