BERNICE MOUNT obituary

HAYS - Bernice Doney Mount, 82, died Saturday, Dec. 11, 2004, at her daughter's home in Fort Belknap due to natural causes.

A funeral Mass will be Wednesday at 11 a.m. in Saint Paul's Mission Recreation Center with burial following in the Mission Cemetery. A wake and rosary are today at 7 p.m. at St. Paul's Rec Center.

Bernice was born on July 5, 1922, in Roy to Joe H. and Julia (Gardipee) Doney. She was raised in the Roy area in the foothills of Black Butte. She attended the Roamstead School in Roy, St. Paul's Mission Boarding School, and early high school in Flandreau Indian School, Flandreau, S.D.

On July 15, 1940, she married John J. Mount. Bernice worked as a foster grandparent for the Hays Headstart Program for 18 years until her retirement in 2000.

Bernice's good-natured disposition allowed her to have a wide circle of friends. Everyone was her friend. In a material sense, Bernice was a simple, humble person, but in a spiritual sense, she was a priceless value. People valued her friendship, and she always kept her home open to everyone. Bernice was a loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, sister, cousin and friend.

Bernice was preceded in death by her husband, John J. Mount; sons, Clinton Mount and Johnny Mount; daughters, Anita Haakanson, Florence Rae Mount and Linda Mount; her parents, Joe H. and Julia Gardipee Doney; siblings, Walter Doney, Eugene "Happy" Doney, Marie Morin, Margaret Morin, Florence "Quack" Sayers and Mabel Hawley; grandparents, Eli and Marie Gardipee, John M. and Virginia LaFountain Doney; son-in-law, Jim Essert; granddaughters, Diana "Tiny Baby" Haakanson, Michelle Essert, Susie King; great-grandchildren, Ning Haakanson, Ethan Gardipee, twins Amaris and Lawrence Cochran, and Linda Cochran.

Survivors include her brother, Charles "Lindy" Doney of Hays; sons, Jay Willie (Mary) Mount, Howard (Arlene) Mount, Harlan (Mary H.) Mount, Wendell (Nan) Mount, all of Fort Belknap; daughters, Brenda Essert, Diana (John) Allen, Carla (Ray) King, Wanda (Maynard) Crasco, Bonnie (Ben) Bentley, all of Fort Belknap; Bernice and JJ's special adopted sons and daughter, Dale Snow, Monty Snow, Nick Hopkins, Clifford Walker, Ed "Beebles" Nicholson, Jr., Roseann "Mushsqua" Doney; 51 grandchildren, 65 great-grandchildren, special friends, Tootsie Hawley and Rosemary "Bunny" Peak.

Arrangements are by Edwards Funeral Home of Chinook.