Loretta Kingbird Brown, Nat-Tom-Way-Ah-Dah-Mook-Equay, 73, of Cass Lake, died on Monday, March 5, 2007, at MeritCare Hospital in Fargo, N.D.
A funeral will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday at the Veteran's Memorial Building in Cass Lake with Rev. Harold Eaglebull officiating. A wake will begin on Thursday at the Veteran's Memorial Building in Cass Lake and will continue until the time of service on Saturday. Burial will be in Lake Andrusia Family Cemetery Grounds in Cass Lake. The Cease Family Funeral Home of Cass Lake assisted the family with arrangements.
Honorary pallbearers will be Berta Jackson, Edna Staples, Viola Kingbird, Carol Kingbird, Marlyce Bellanger, Donna Boutang, Maxine Brown and Shirley Dunn.
Pallbearers will be Bernie Brown Jr., Roman Brown, Bill Brown Sr., Dan Charnoski, Julian Charnoski, Curtis "E-Ah" Brown Jr., Jonas Northbird and Kellen Brown.
She was born on Oct. 11, 1933, to Scott and Delma (Critt) Kingbird, in Ponemah. Her family moved to the Mission area outside of Cass Lake in 1940. She attended the Mission School and later went to school in Cass Lake. She married Franklin Brown on Sept. 9, 1962, in Cass Lake. When her youngest child started school in 1974, she started working at the Cass Lake PHS Hospital, first in the pharmacy and later as a cook. Her husband died on Sept. 5, 1995. After more than 25 years at the hospital, she retired in 2000.
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She was known all over the reservation for her delicious fry-bread. She enjoyed beadwork, going to the casino for 20/20 Bingo, was an avid Cass Lake-Bena School basketball sports fan and loved traveling throughout the country following her children's and grandchildren's sports activities. She loved spending time with her children and grandchildren.
She is survived by her sons, Bernard (Cheryl) Brown of Cass Lake, Curtis (Sue) Brown of Cass Lake and Frank Brown of Minneapolis, Minn.; daughters, Sandra Charnoski of Cass Lake, Debbie (Francis) Kingbird of Cass Lake and Evie Brown of Cass Lake; grandchildren whom she raised, Dan and Julian Charnoski of Cass Lake; brothers, Daniel Kingbird Sr. of Bemidji and Sidney Kingbird of Cass Lake; sisters, Della Kingbird of Cass Lake and Elizabeth "Rooni" Kingbird of Cass Lake; and 26 grandchildren, and 34 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; son, Scott Brown; a grandson she raised, Shane Kingbird Sr.; four grandsons and one granddaughter; and brothers, Arnold Kingbird, McKinley Kingbird and Leroy Staples Sr.
