Roseanne Left Hand Gray Hawk Boyd (Yu yutapi waste winyan-Good to look at Woman) left this world after a short battle with cancer surrounded by her loving children on Sunday August 31, 2014. She was born in the family home of twelve children in Old Kenel South Dakota on May 4, 1934 to Mary Jane (Poitra) and Henry George Left Hand. She attended schools at Fort Yates Boarding School and Marty Mission School.
Roseanne came to Poplar in 1954 to babysit for her aunt Flora Culbertson and met Benjamin Gray Hawk Jr. The two were married in 1955 and to this union 7 children were born and even though they later divorced, they remained close friends until Benji’s death February 1, 1998. In 1986 she married James A. Boyd whom she later divorced.
She is survived by her children: Mary Ellen Frislie, Tote (Willa) Gray Hawk, Jolene Walles, Brad (Maureen) Gray Hawk, Lennie (Belle) Gray Hawk, Ben (Julia) Gray Hawk III, Cedric (Chelsie) La Fromboise all of Poplar, Terrie Lee (Lonnie) Green of Iola Texas,. Also adopted children Pete Dupree, Terry Gray Hawk, Justin (Orlonda) Gray Hawk, Jason (Tracey) Gray Hawk, Melda Gray Hawk, Lisa Wettlin, and Shantree Escarcega all of Poplar, Joyce Growing Thunder of California, Ceya Long Hair, and Sandra Yellow Hammer of Fort Kipp and Tommy Baker of Kenel, South Dakota, Adopted nephew Louis Buck Elk. Sisters Germaine Demery, Elaine St. John, Shirley Poitra and one brother Clayton Left Hand all of Kenel South Dakota, and an ex-son and daughter-in-law whom she thought dearly of; Julie Gray Hawk of Minnesota and Roger Frislie of Colstrip Montana.
In her early years Roseanne helped her father break horses, and helped her mother doctor many people as well as helped to deliver many children, in fact mom delivered her first baby when she was 9 years old! She was a tough cowgirl and was still chopping her own wood at the age of 60.
She loved to visit and enjoyed cooking and fed many people over the years, her motto was “If you leave this house hungry, it’s your own damn fault!”. Mom enjoyed spending time with her family, playing cards, and sewing and she made many western shirts, dancing outfits, patch work quilts and especially star quilts. In her early years she enjoyed beading and taught her children to bead. She raised chickens, turkeys and had a garden.
Roseanne was preceded in death by her parents, and her son Henry Gray Hawk Sr, sisters Alberta Rough Surface, Elsie Martin, Minnie La Fromboise, Esther Silk and adopted sister Leona Claymore, and brothers Theodore, Benny and Ambose Left Hand.
She also leaves behind 63 grandchildren, 89 great grandchildren and 1 great, great grandchild.
A wake will be held 7 p.m. Sunday, September 7 at the James Black Dog Community Center in Fort Kipp, MT. The funeral service will be held 10 a.m. Monday September 8 at the James Black Dog Community Center in Fort Kipp with burial at the Fort Kipp Cemetery. Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel of Wolf Point has been entrusted with the arrangements.
Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel of Wolf Point has been entrusted with the arrangements. Condolences can be sent to the family using the form below.