Freda Fourstar, age 95, was born on the run. Unable to get to the hospital in time, Fourstar’s mother gave birth to her in the back of a Ford Model T on a country road on July 28, 1922.
The granddaughter of Chief Redstone, who led the Wadopana (Canoe Paddler) Band of Assiniboine on the Fort Peck Reservation until his death in 1896, Freda was born to Fred Redstone, Sr. and his wife, Christine (Runns), also an Assiniboine from the Carry the Kettle Reserve in Saskatchewan, Canada.
The family settled outside of Oswego near the Missouri River in an abandoned school house, which was purchased for $500. “My memories go back to when I was 4 and 5 years old,” she said, “Life was great in the country.”
Each day, her father would ride the ferry boat across the river into McCone County to work for farmers and ranchers clearing their land.
While in High School, Freda met her future husband, Leslie, and they married several years later and moved to Tacoma, Washington, where he worked as a welder helping build aircraft carriers for the U.S. Navy. For three years, the Fourstars, with three children in tow. Lived in Tacoma; Freda worked the final year of the war as a cleaner in the shipyards.
The couple had 10 children, three daughters and seven sons. After her husband suffered from a work related injury, she went to work for a while as a dispatcher at the former Glasgow Air Force Base. She also has worked for the tribe’s senior citizens program and at the Head Start center.
Florence Fourstar, Freda’s, said much of what her mother learned has been continually passed down from generation to generation. “She taught us a lot of good values and ethics,” Florence said. Our parents never had harsh discipline for us but always told us to listen. Because if we didn’t, we could get in trouble further on in life, and we’d be forced to listen to the law.”
Freda is survived by her children; Florence Fourstar (Rodney) of Wolf Point, MT, Vernon Fourstar (Debbie) of Spokane, WA, Phyllis Johnson of Spokane, WA, Roderick Fourstar of Frazer, MT, Terry Fourstar of Frazer, MT, and Lana Fourstar of Frazer, MT and grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great grandchildren, too numerous to mention.
She was preceded in death by her daughter Delores McConnell, Victor Fourstar, Sr., Phillip Fourstar, Sr., Leslie Fourstar, Sr., Anthony Fourstar, Sr.