Obituary - Nykee Sarah-Jai Hawley

HARLEM - Wake and Rosary services will be held today, Thursday, May 19, 2016, at Red Whip at Fort Belknap, at 5 p.m, for Nykee Hawley of Harlem.

Funeral services will be Friday, May 20, at Red Whip in Fort Belknap.

Without warning, death came suddenly to 33-year-old Nykee Sarah-Jai Hawley. Nykee passed in the early morning hours of May 15, 2016, as she and her mother were cooking for branding. She passed away on the deck that she and her good friend Lamont Garcia had built.

Nykee was born Aug. 17, 1982, 43 days following the passing of her older sister, Erin Kay Bishop, who died of leukemia. Even though they were half-sisters, she and Erin were very similar in looks with bright auburn hair and nonconformist personalities, which sometimes got them in trouble.

Nykee was the youngest daughter of Cranston and Jessie James-Hawley. Nykee attended school in Harlem all her life, graduating in 2000. She was in honor society and excelled in art to the point of her art being banned from the school by the principal, as being too "suggestive."

Following her high school graduation, she enrolled at Fort Belknap College, graduating with an associate degree in liberal arts. There she met, fell in love with, and became engaged to Jacob Jones. Jacob passed away in 2002, a victim of suicide.

She then moved to Polson, Montana, to attend Salish Kootenai College. After a few months in Polson, she moved to Billings, Montana, to work. There, she met James Keith Bellrock, fell in love and became engaged. On Dec. 3, 2006, she was blessed with a special son, Griffen Paul-Zion Hawley, who at age 4 was diagnosed as being autistic. She called off the engagement, keeping her son to love and cherish.

She then transferred to Montana State University-Northern to pursue a degree in plumbing and heating. Nykee was never afraid of hard work and labor. While attending MSU-Northern, she was blessed once more with a second child, Phoenix Erin Augustine Hawley, born Feb. 7, 2009. Foregoing the burdens of an engagement, she opted to provide for and love.

Due to a severe back problem, Nykee's student career was cut short. Nykee and the kids moved home in 2011 to be near family and friends and attend to the needs of her aging parents as well as to provide a safe and loving family environment for her children.

Since moving home she developed an outstanding green thumb and a love for gardening. Surprised by her natural skill, her mother complimented Nykee, saying, "Who would have known that you are a natural born horticulturist?"

Nykee threw her mom a dirty look, saying, "WHAT DID YOU CALL ME????"

Jessie explained that a horticulturist was someone who is gifted at growing plants, to which Nykee replied, "Oh ... I thought you were calling me a name."

Even when outraged, she could be funny. Nykee was a unique individual, never conforming to what the world thought, talented in her art and crafts work, and an avid collector of "My Little Ponies" among other things, loved watching cartoons with her children, especially those designed by Oriental artists. I once told her, "Don't you dare die before me ... I don't want to have to deal with your 'My Little Pony' herd."

She had a lively business of buying and selling online.

One of her greatest springtime activities was in seeking and gathering wild asparagus with her children, a skill taught to her by her father, Cranston. She loved working; playing and teaching her children ... they were the center of her giving and receiving of love. She was an outstanding single mother.

Nykee was preceded in death by her grandmother, Cecelia Lankford, when Cecelai was 101 years old; her sister, Erin Kay Bishop; her aunt, "Cricket" Wilke; and her uncle, Frank "Skee" James; paternal grandparents, Jim and Florence Hawley; aunt, Phyllis Anderson; aunt, Audrey Beck; uncle, Granville Hawley; and cousins, Clayton, Mick and Claudine Hawley.

Survivors include her son, Griffen Paul-Zion Hawley; her daughter, Phoenix Augustine Hawley; her father, retired Chief Judge Cranston Hawley; her mother, Jessie James-Hawley; her sisters, Rebecca Bishop-Goss (Rodney), Dawn Bishop-Moore (Buster), Cathy Hawley-Grove (Steve), Tammy (Dave) Udelhoven, Sharon (Sid) Napier, Linda (Mike) Sullivan; one brother, Jim (Cynthia) Hawley; best friend, Talia Bell; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Funeral arrangements have been made with Edwards Funeral Home of Chinook.

Condolences for Nykee's family can be left at http://edwardsfuneralhomemt.com.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to a fund for the children at the Bank of Harlem.