Jessica Marie Staples

Jessica “Jess” Marie Staples, whose Ojibwe name is Wah sii gwin which means “The white under the wing of an Eagle”, 30, of Cass Lake, died Friday, Oct. 30, 2009, of a brain aneurysm, at North Country Regional Hospital in Bemidji.

A funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5, at the Cass Lake Facility Center in Cass Lake with the Rev. Anthony Peterson officiating. A wake will begin in the afternoon Tuesday, Nov. 3, at the Cass Lake Facility Center and will continue until the time of service. Burial will be in the Old Agency Cemetery in Onigum, under the direction of the Cease Family Funeral Home of Cass Lake.

The pallbearers will be Adrian Staples, Dauser Drouillard, John Staples, Russell “Beaver” White, Kenny James Hare, Darron Wilson, with alternates, Jim Brown and Dave Staples.

Honorary pallbearers will be Ashley Brown-Staples, Tamra Poppy, Kym Hare, Anna Drouillard, Barb Drouillard, Serena Morris, Paula Hardy, Raquel Staples, Rickay Staples, Shana Drouillard and all of her “Tract 33” childhood friends.

She was born Aug. 19, 1979, to Richard Hare and Linda Staples in Cass Lake. She was raised and educated in Cass Lake. She attended the Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig School. She also attended the Hibbing Community College. She worked at the Palace Casino in Cass Lake. Tragically, she lost her father in 1992. She enjoyed spending time with her daughters, playing volleyball, bowling, watching movies, reading and walking the boardwalk in Duluth. She attended pow-wows and sang behind the family drum.

She is survived by her daughters, Raquel, Rickay, Mickiah Patsy Ann and Terriauna; her mother; sister, Ashley (Jim) Brown; brother, Adrian Staples; aunt, Patsy Gordon, whom she lived with; grandmother, Cecelia (Bone) Drouillard; significant other, Terrance Franklin.

She was preceded in death by her father; grandparents, Hazel Hare and Herald Hare.

Messages of condolence may be left at ceasefuneralhome.com.