On May 19 in 1974, Joaquin Walks Two Andrews was born in Phoenix, Arizona to Doris Rae Bighorn Andrews and Murray Andrews. About a year later, he was on this first airplane trip for the move to Brockton, Montana.
Joaquin graduated from Poplar High School and after a couple of years of employment at the Fort Peck Tribal Express, he attended the United Tribes Technical College in Bismarck, North Dakota. He graduated with a degree in graphic/commercial design. Later he would be employed at UTTC in the same department he graduated from. A few years and a couple of other jobs later, he moved back home to Brockton. Joaquin was employed with the Fort Peck Tribes Transportation Department up until his passing.
At an early age Joaquin was curious about symbols, letters, and pictures. He also started drawing pictures of stories he made up, usually of space ships or anything to do with outer space. He started listening to music associated with these subjects which then was mostly classical music. Later he would be conducting his orchestra in front of the tv or the cassette tape player. He started reading and by around five he could read newspapers, magazines, and books, if they ever interested him. His parents were always on stand-by to answer any questions he might have, he never asked. In a world available with directions, instructions, and diagrams he wanted to do things on his own. When the computer and internet age arrived computers and electronics became his main interests; that included his type of music. He would strip out his computers for repairs or to make them preform better. He once said his dream job would be to work with computers and training to learn more.
After his health started failing, we talked about his many relatives in the northern and south states. Of the Dakota, Assiniboine, Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara blood from his great grandparents that his grandpa Jake always spoke of. Also, of the O’odham blood from his blood from his great grandparents in the Salt River and Lehi communities in Arizona. He knew he would be leaving with many things he had yet to do but in his world of his many relatives and the friendships that he made, his life was somehow complete.
Joaquin was preceded in death by his mother Doris, his maternal grandparents in Brockton, Jacob Maurice Crow Belt and Mable B. (Foote) Bighorn. His uncles Narciss Bighorn, Jacob Bighorn Jr., Simon Looking Elk, Enright Bighorn Sr.; uncles, Herschel Andres and Leroy George Andrews; aunts, Evelyn Andrew Losey, Mary “Mac” Andrews, and Janet (Antone) Andrews; and brother-in-law, Elmer Adams Jr.
He is survived by his father, Murray Andrews; sister, Zebe (Shyann) Andrews; brother, Ramon Cloke; uncles, Elmer DeCoteau of Poplar, Bert and Lavar Andrews of Salt River, Arizona; aunts, Kristie Crow Belt, Iola Scott of Poplar, Lavonne Looking Elk of Rapid City, South Dakota, Cynthia Bighorn of Sisseton, South Dakota, Deloria Bighorn in Duncun, BC, Vona Pablo, Rosenna “Roxie” Andrews and Christine Andrews all of Salt River; other uncles and aunts in Montana and Arizona; close cousins he grew up with, Cory (Tim) Lingle, Jeremiah DeCoteau, Jennifer (Kevin) Shorter, and Carri Bighorn; nieces and nephews that grew up around him, Kiyen Andrews, Ellyssa Adams, ElRayne Adams, Ciera Johannessen, Dakota Johannessen, Marcus and Malachi Cloke; his grandsons, Thaddeus Jackson, Zai Ken Clark, and Adysseus Andrews.
A funeral service will be held 11 a.m. Saturday, May 4, 2024 at the Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel in Wolf Point with cremation to follow. Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel of Wolf Point has been entrusted with the arrangements.