Obituary: Nadine I. Morsette

Nadine I. Morsette, 90, passed away on Thursday, Feb. 18, 2016, of natural causes at Northern Montana Hospital. Wake services will begin at 1 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 18, 2016, and will continue until her traditional funeral, which will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 19, 2016, all at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Rocky Boy. Burial will follow in the Rocky Boy Cemetery. Holland & Bonine Funeral Home has been entrusted with arrangements. Please visit Nadine's online memorial page and leave a message of condolence for her family at http://www.hollandbonine.com.

Nadine was born on Feb. 22, 1925, in Pryor, Montana, to Ironmaker and Answering (Chief Goes Out) Ironmaker. She was raised in Rocky Boy, attending school there. In 1947, Nadine married John Morsette, and she obtained her GED soon thereafter. The couple had six children, and divorced in 1980. Nadine worked for the Hill County Extension Office for a few years. She then worked for many years at the Rocky Boy Schools as a bilingual teacher, passing on the Cree language to Rocky Boy youth. For the past several years, she worked with the Chippewa Cree Tribe as a traditional peacemaker.

Nadine enjoyed beading, gardening, ranching, ceramics, and playing bingo, handgame and the machines.

Nadine was preceded in death by two of her children, Janet Belcourt and Jon Morsette; her great-granddaughter, Kaphrey Gardipee; her parents, Ironmaker and Answering Ironmaker; and her siblings, Amy Harris, Wilberta Lee, Caroline Gray, Margaret Weaving and James Ironmaker.

She is survived by her children, all of Rocky Boy, Ricky (Theda) Morsette, Patty Henderson, James (Kathy) Morsette and Avis (Henry) Gardipee; her 18 grandchildren, including Jason Belcourt and Monica Morsette, whom she raised; numerous great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren; her adopted children Bobby (Loretta) Ironmaker of Fort Belknap, James (Monica) Ironmaker Jr. of Elmo, Montana, Lee Ironmaker and Ona Ironmaker, both of Great Falls, Kay (Allen) Azure and Jackie Ironmaker, all of Havre, James Parker Shields of Great Falls, Tim Henry of Rocky Boy and Doug (Stephanie) Morley of Bozeman; her brother, Kenny (Lorena) Writing Bird of Rocky Boy; her sister, Ruby Stump of Rocky Boy; and numerous beloved cousins, nieces, nephews and other extended family and friends.