IDA DONEY obituary

HAYS - Ida Mae Doney, 76, of Hays died Sept. 13, 2005, at Fort Belknap Public Health Service Hospital due to natural causes.

A family wake will begin today at 6 p.m. at Ida Doney's residence at Hays. Wake and rosary services will be held Thursday at 7 p.m. in St. Paul's Recreation Center. A funeral

Mass will be held at 11 a.m. Friday in St. Paul's Catholic Church with burial following in the Mission Cemetery.

Ida was born on April 11, 1929, in Hays to Frank and Matilda (White Plume) Cuts the Rope. She attended school at St. Paul's Mission and later took college courses from Fort Belknap College.

Ida married Bruce Doney on Sept. 5, 1949, at St. Paul's Mission and has spent all her life in the Hays area. She was one of the first teachers for Project Head Start in the early 1960s. She and her husband provided roller skates for kids in the area, and young kids would visited with her all the time, seeking advice.

Ida enjoyed being with her sisters, especially sings with them, a joy she passed on to her children and grandchildren. She loved to bake maple sticks for her children to sell and was an excellent bread maker and cook. Ida loved to baby-sit her grandchildren and neighbor kids and watching her grandchildren in sports and other activities. She loved being a grandmother for all the children. As a pastime, she enjoyed being an artist, painting several pictures for family and friends.

Throughout her lifetime she was an active member of the St. Paul's Catholic Church.

Ida was preceded in death by her husband, Bruce Doney; grandson, P.J. Crasco; and daughter-in-law and best friend, Carol Jean Doney.

Survivors include her children, Violet (Darryl) Crasco of Beaver Creek, Bruce "Buzz" Doney of Hays, Loretta (Vincent) "Poncho" Hawley of Hays, John F. (Cindy Lynn) Doney of Hays, Florence (Don) Horn of Ft. Belknap Agency, Lawrence (Jean) Doney of St. Joseph, Mo., Sam (Janelle) Doney of Florissant, Mo.; adopted brother, Bruce Johnson of Harlem; sisters, Cecelia DeCelles of Fort Belknap Agency and Hazel Doney of Hays; 22 grandchildren; 22 great-grandchildren; numerous nieces, nephews, adoptive grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.

Arrangements are by Edwards Funeral Home of Chinook.