MARY BIG LEGGINS obituary

HAYS Mary M. Big Leggins, 66, whose Gros Ventre name was A-baa-too-si meaning “Guarder,” died Sunday, Dec. 10, 2006, at Northern Montana Hospital due to natural causes.

A rosary will be held today at 5 p. m. in St. Paul's Catholic Church with a wake following at the Big Leggins' residence in Hays. The wake and rosary will continue at the Recreation Center late Wednesday afternoon. Her funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday in St. Paul's Catholic Church with burial following in Mission Cemetery. Mary was born April 18, 1940, at Fort Belknap Agency to George Sr. And Ella (Bradley) Fox. She was raised on the family farm/ranch and attended St. Paul's Mission School and graduated from St. Paul's Mission High School. She married Sherwin Big Leggins on Nov. 1, 1962, in Chinook. Mary was a member of St. Paul's Catholic Church Lay Minister's Society. She was a cook's helper at Hays High School for 13 years, retiring in 1981. Mary's hobbies included reading, attending church services and powwows. She loved taking care of her grandchildren and enjoyed cooking, canning, baking and visiting friends and family. Mary was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Sherwin Big Leggins in 1995; sisters, Sylvia Weasel Boy and Katherine Fox; brothers, Quentin Fox Sr., Rufus Fox, Steven Fox and George Fox Jr. Survivors include her sons, Monte Fox of Hays, Aaron Big Leggins of Pendleton, Ore., Darryl Big Leggins of Helena and Shawn Big Leggins of Minneapolis, Minn.; daughters, Annette (John Grant) Big Leggins of Three Buttes, Wanda (Daniel) Raining Bird of Fort Belknap, Tracy Big Leggins of Hays, Georgia (Brent) C'Hair of Arapahoe, Wyo., and Nicole (Colby Fetter) Big Leggins of Havre; sister, Louella Fox Stiffarm of Hays; 21 grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren. Arrangements are by Edwards Funeral Home of Chinook.