Judith May Spears
Judith May Spears, 64, of Ponemah , MN whose Indian name was Ga-Bong-Ga-Ya-Shik,
which means Sun Down Woman passed on Friday, March 16, 2007 at the MeritCare Hospital in Fargo
, North Dakota
Traditional Indian Services will be held at 2 P.M. on Wednesday,
March 21, 2007, at the Ponemah Elementary
School in Ponemah.
A wake will begin in the evening of Monday, March 19 at the Ponemah Elementary School in Ponemah
and will continue until the time of services. Burial will be in the
Family Burial Grounds in Ponemah. Cease Family
Funeral Home of Blackduck assisted the family with
arrangements.
Honorary pallbearers will be Rita Johnson, Sandra Rosebear, Janet Thomas, Barb Thomas, Patty Kingbird, Candy
Thomas, Andrea Rosebear, and Pricilla Defoe, all of
her granddaughters, and the Ponemah Elementary Staff.
Active pallbearers will be Kevin Rosebear,
Sr., Barney Thomas, Scruff Johnson, Joe Iceman, Ole Spears, Mike Spears, Gary
Nelson, Sr., Alfred Thomas, Evan Thomas, Perry White, Jr., and Kevin Martin,
Sr., and all of her grandsons.
She was born on May 1,
1942 in Red Lake , Minnesota
the daughter of Alfred and Gloria (Cloud) Thomas. She attended schools in Ponemah and Red
Lake , and received her GED. She married Greeting Spears,
Jr. on April 25, 1961 in Ponemah. She worked at
the Day Care
Center in Red
Lake for seven years before she was
employed at the Ponemah School
for thirty three years as a Para-professional. She enjoyed working with
children. In the year 2001, she was awarded Minnesota Para-professional of the
year. She graduated with an Associate of Arts Degree in Early Childhood
Development from the Minnesota State Technical College of Moorhead in August of
2006.
She also loved to attend
pow-wows, going to bingo and the casino, riding in
the evenings and sitting outside. She enjoyed being with her husband,
children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and her whole family. She
enjoyed cooking big dinners for her family, and considered herself very rich
for having a large loving family.
She is survived by her
husband, Greeting Spears, Jr. of Ponemah; children,
Michael (Debbie) Spears, Janice (Joe) Iceman, Gretchen Spears, Ramona (Corey)
Spears, Greeting (Patty) Spears III, and Sharon (Kevin Sr.) Rosebear,
all of Ponemah; 3 Adopted Children, Karen Jones of Redby, David Jones, Jr. of Bemidji, and Brenda Jones Sayers
of Redby; one sister, Beverly (Peter) Thomas of Ponemah; two brothers, Alfred (Geraldine) Thomas and
Richard Thomas both of Ponemah; 2 adopted brother
Louis Kingbird, Sr. and Russell Cloud, Sr.; 34 grandchildren, including 1
serving in the military in Texas; 13 great grandchildren; numerous other
relatives; all the children of the Ponemah
Elementary, and all who called her grandma.
She was preceded in
death by her parents, one infant sister, Gretchen, one grandson, Marvin Spears,
one granddaughter, Branigan French,
one great granddaughter, December Jones, and numerous other relatives.
Messages of condolence may be sent to www.ceasefuneralhome.com
