Demery Dan-Joseph Bellanger

Demery “Gizmo” Dan-Joseph Bellanger, 21, of Bemidji, died Thursday, Oct 29, 2009, at MeritCare Hospital in Fargo, N.D.

A funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Nov 3, at St. Antipas Episcopal Church, Redby. A wake will begin at 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov 1, at the Redby Community Center and will continue until the time of service. Burial will be in the St. Antipas Episcopal Church Cemetery in Redby.

Arrangements are with the Cease Family Funeral Home of Bemidji.

The pallbearers will be Damien Charnoski, Dwight Bellanger Jr., Darnell Bellanger, Reginald Wind Sr., Reginald Wind Jr., Ivan Wind, Fabian Wind and Rick McBride.

The honorary pallbearers will be Sydni Wind, Zach Wind, Aisha Sargent, Dominic Bellanger, Holly Bellanger, Mandee Neeland, John Charnoski Jr., Abraham Smith and Louis Greyhawk.

He was born Aug. 11, 1988, to Dwight and Diane (Charnoski) Bellanger Sr., in Bemidji. He spent his early childhood in Red Lake, where his father Dwight, was a law enforcement officer. In 1996, the family relocated to Lame Deer, Mont. until late 1998, then they relocated to Spirit Lake, N.D. In February 2007, Dwight Sr. died. In June 2008, the family moved back to Minnesota. He was born with Down Syndrome, but lived life to the fullest. He loved wrestling and enjoyed watching it on the television. He loved his culture and attending pow-wows. He enjoyed spending time with his family, playing video and computer games with his brothers and sisters, watching movies and taking pictures.

He is survived by his mother Diane; special mother, Carol Charnoski; brothers, Damien Charnoski, Dwight Bellanger Jr., Darnell Bellanger, Daniel Bellanger; sisters, Darian Bellanger and foster sisters, Aisha Sargent and Onalecia Mathews of Bemidji; half-sister, Kathleen Blue and his paternal grandmother, Phyllis Jourdain of Minneapolis and special brother, Dominic Bellanger.

He was preceded in death by his father Dwight; maternal grandparents, Louise and Dan Charnoski Sr. and paternal grandfather, Dan Bellanger Sr.