Obituary - Bernadine Buck-Striker, Cha-gawiya (Ice Woman)

Bernadine Buck-Striker, Cha-gawiya (Ice Woman), of Fort Belknap, 79, passed away Monday, Jan. 8, 2018, at Northern Montana Hospital due to natural causes.

A wake will start today, Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018, at 4 p.m. at the Fort Belknap New Community Center and will continue until Thursday, Jan. 11, 201, at 11 a.m. when a funeral will be held. Burial to follow at the Pink Church Cemetery.

Holland and Bonine Funeral Home has been entrusted with arrangements.

Please visit Bernadine's online memorial page at http://www.hollandbonine.com and leave a message of condolence for her family.

Bernadine was born Aug. 29, 1938, in Fort Belknap to George SpeakThunder and Thelma Buck. She was raised by Melvina and Julian Perez in Fort Belknap and graduated from Harlem High School. After school, Bernadine took part in the Relocation act of 1965 and moved to San Francisco to train to become a beautician. While there she met Francis Mackie Two Bulls and they had one son together, William.

In 1970 Bernadine married Benedict Striker and the couple moved to Oakland for a few years. They then moved back to Montana, living in Glasgow at the U.S. Air Force Base, Missoula, and Butte before ultimately settling into Fort Belknap. The couple bought their home there in 1975. Bernadine worked as a secretary for Head Start and for tribal chairmen.

Bernadine enjoyed watching cooking shows and reading gossip magazines. She was an excellent baker, especially her cinnamon rolls and biscuits. Family was her biggest priority and Bernadine spent countless hours with her grand- and great-grandchildren.

Bernadine was preceded in death by her parents, George SpeakThunder, Thelma Buck and Melvina and Julian Perez; sisters Georgina Weasel and Lorena "Tootie" Buck; and brother Ronnie Perez.

She is survived by her husband, Benedict Striker of Havre; children, William (Florence) Buck of Fort Worth, TX and Valerie Striker of Fort Belknap; grandchildren, Ethan (Monique) Buck, Chaney (Jose) Parrott, Camie (David Gandara) Buck, Thomasina Mount all of Fort Worth, TX, Latricia (Michael) Haakanson of Fort Belknap and Chelsey Buck of Rocky Boy; 23 great-grandchildren; siblings Kathleen "Kass" Perez, Randy (Diane) Perez both of Harlem and Leslie "Dusty" Buck of Ronan; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.