Dalton Paige Gourneau – Mato Mani (Walking Bear)
Dalton was born on March 23, 1993, in Williston, North Dakota. He was 17 years old and a senior in high school at the time of his death. The best way to describe Dalton is he lived life and he had more love to give than anyone could possibly need. He enjoyed sports, hunting, motorcycles and any other type of moving contraption that he could drive as fast as he could get away with. Dalton loved living life fast and furious. Seeing his nephew driving down the four-lane doing a wheely his uncle shook his head and said “that kid!”, but he had a proud little smile on his face when he said it. When he was a little boy his uncles called him “Me Am” because he couldn’t say I am and if any of his cousins got in trouble he loved saying to them, “you got caught left handed”. He was a special and favorite nephew to his aunties because he was such a sweetheart and always so formal and polite to the ladies. He would never be caught calling one of his aunties by their given name and fights are known to have occurred between jealous aunties over “who he loved best”. Dalton loved to tease his uncles, take care of his cousins and, as he would say, watch out for you “old guys”. We’ll miss his crooked little smile.
Dalton had many special friends and classmates in the community and many adults who enjoyed his company. We all had the privilege of knowing and loving this wonderful young man.
Dalton was preceded in death by his grandfather, Frank L. Gourneau Sr. and great-grandmother Emma St. Germaine Pizana.
Dalton is survived by his mother, Roxanne Gourneau, sister, Lafaye Lizotte, nephew Kashtin and grandmother, Mary Two Eagle Gourneau, his uncle’s Lee Gourneau, Timothy (Rainey) Gourneau, Andrew (Tammy) Azure of Belcourt, ND and Frank (Haven) Gourneau Jr., Greg Gourneau Sr., Caleb (Connie) Gourneau and Terrence (Leslie) Gourneau Sr. and his aunt’s Gwendolyn Gourneau of Wolf Point and Sharon Ballow, Carol Gourneau and Judy (Buddy) Delonias of Belcourt, ND. Our days will not be the same without Dalton.
A vigil will be held 7 p.m. Friday, November 26, 2010 at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Wolf Point. Mass of Christian Burial will be held 10 a.m. Saturday, November 27, also at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Wolf Point. Interment will follow at the Greenwood Cemetery in Wolf Point.
Condolences may be sent to the family at www.stevensonandsons.com. Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel in Wolf Point has been entrusted with the arrangements.