ADA BLACKBIRD obituary

FORT BELKNAP AGENCY Ada Nina Buckman Blackbird, 84, died Monday, Dec. 4, 2006, at the Northern Montana Care Center due to natural causes.

Her funeral service will be held Friday at 11 a.m. in the Red Whip Center with burial following in the Wild Horse Buckman Cemetery. Her wake service will begin today at 5 p.m. in the Red Whip Center. Ada was born Aug. 11, 1922, near Lodge Pole to Richard and Carrie (Lemon) Snell on the family ranch. She was raised in the Little Warm and Lodge Pole area on the Snell Family Ranch, where she enjoyed riding horses. Ada attended schools at Beaver Creek, Lodge Pole, Pierre, S.D., and Flandreau, S.D. Ada married Martin Buckman Sr. In 1944, and they later divorced. She lived in Oregon a few years before returning to Montana. Ada worked as a cook's helper at the Beaver Creek School and did baby sitting at the Agency for various people. Ada's hobbies included knitting, crocheting, making star and patch quilts and beading. She enjoyed making jams and syrups from berries she picked in the area. She also enjoyed flowers, birds, baking cookies, pies and cakes. She had a pet parrot. Ada's arts and crafts included making earrings, moccasins and medallions. Ada married Lorenzo Blackbird in 1979. He died in 1981. Ada was preceded in death by her parents; brothers, Elmer, Arthur, Carl and Ross Snell; daughter, Renee Hamilton; and stepchildren, Martin Buckman Jr. And Douglas C. Buckman. Survivors include her daughters, Ruth A. Long Knife of Beaver Creek and Mary Lou Long Knife, Carol Wagner and Betty Walls, all of Fort Belknap; sons, Leslie James Buckman of Chinook, Charlie Buckman of Electric City, Wash., Ted Buckman of Grand Coulee Dam, Wash., and Mike Buckman of Pablo; stepchildren, Rudy Buckman and Claudette Claymore of Billings; adopted son, Randy Red Eagle of Havre; sisters, Erma Bear of Harlem, Mabel Snell of Lodge Pole, Mary Millie Nessey of Great Falls and June Hunter of San Carlos, Ariz.; numerous grandchildren; many, many great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild. Arrangements are by Edwards Funeral Home of Chinook.