Daniel Duane Garfield, Jr. (Charging Buffalo), went to heaven at St. Vincent hospital on December 11, 2017 in Billings, Montana at the age of 79.
Dan is survived by his wife Dixie of Shepherd, Montana, his children, Tracie Garfield of Billings, Montana, Faith (Daniel) Yanez of Phoenix, Arizona, Joy (Ted) Toavs and Mervin Garfield of Wolf Point, Montana, step-children Landon Means, Anya, and QJ of Missoula, Montana, Joel Means and Andrea Means of Lame Deer, Montana, his adopted children Albert Foote and Clifford Berger of Poplar, Montana, Shawn Brown of Vancouver, British Columbia and Jaimé Rosaroio of Illinois, his brothers Larry (Sheena) Garfield, Chuck (Janice) Garfield, Vance (Clairanne) Garfield of Wolf Point, Montana, Leon (Ruth) Garfield of Fort Peck, Montana, sisters, Joan Small, Celia (Hyram) Peters, Desiree Garfield of Wolf Point, Montana, Cleo Shumway of Bristol, Connecticut, Marshalle Lambert of Billings, Montana, and Nancy Nordwick of Trenton, North Dakota. He is preceded in death by his wife Barbara, sons Ronnie and Duane Garfield, parents Daniel Sr. and Agnes Garfield, brother Douglas Garfield, and adopted sons Keifer Foote and Willie Blue Earth. He has 33 grandkids and 23 great grandkids.
Dan, also known to some as “Cowboy”, was born November 28, 1938 in Wolf Point, Montana to Daniel Sr and Agnes (Moran) Garfield. He attended Wolf Point High School, graduating in 1956. He then went into the Navy and was stationed in Aleutian Islands in Adak, Alaska. He was honorably discharged before returning to Wolf Point. Dan was a member of the Fort Peck Assiniboine Tribe. He was a skilled carpenter, and also worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs Irrigation department in Wolf Point for over 30 years.
Dan united in marriage to Barbara Bear on October 4, 1958. The two were married for 44 years, until her passing in 2002. Dan and Barbara settled in Wolf Point after jobs in Milwaukee and Browning, Montana. From this union, they had six children. Dan and Barb opened their hearts and their home to many foster children, their children’s friends, and many others throughout the years.
In 2004, Dan married Dixie Means of Lame Deer, Montana. She was handpicked from heaven to bring him years of love, joy, laughter and adventure. Together they demonstrated unconditional love to each other and to their families. They moved from Wolf Point to Shepherd, Montana, where they made their home until his passing.
There are not enough words to describe a man that has touched so many lives, but here are just a few; Respect, integrity, honorable, humble, honest, loving, kind-hearted, handsome, unconditionally loving, mentor, leader, humorous, witty, charming, dashing, good provider, non-judgmental, perseverance, outdoorsman, adventurous, and most importantly, he showed by example how to walk on this earth with hope, strength, and faith in our Creator.
He was active in both his Christian Catholic faith and the traditional ways, sun dancing with his wife Barbara and son Duane in Chelsea, Montana. His belief in God our Creator and heavenly father was the essence of who he was to all that knew him.
Dan was an outdoorsman extraordinaire, exceling in fishing, hunting and trapping. He was Wolf Point/Poplar Walleyes Unlimited Angler of the year in 2000. He shared his love of the outdoors with all of his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and many other children, teaching them patience and respect for Mother Earth. He often took them on camping trips, telling them stories to teach them about life’s lessons. When asked how he wanted to be remembered, Dan wanted us to know “That I love God, my wife, my family, and my adopted relatives.”
Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel of Wolf Point has been entrusted with the arrangements. Condolences can be sent to the family by using the form below.