Obituary - Donna Marie Brockie Boyer, Biik'ito'k'i "Strikes At Night"

Donna Marie Brockie Boyer, Biik’ito’k’i “Strikes At Night,” 71, passed peacefully on Jan. 15, 2019.

A visitation began at 7:00 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 17, 2019, at the Margaret Nicholson residence in Rodeo Drive. A Rosary will be said at 7:00 p.m. today, Jan. 18, 2019, at the St. Paul Mission in Hays, with a wake to follow. Donna’s funeral service will take place at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 19, 2019, also at the St. Paul Mission. Burial will follow in the Mission Cemetery.

Holland & Bonine Funeral Home has been entrusted with arrangements.

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

Donna was born to her proud parents, Martha Nez Perce Buck and Clarence Joseph Brockie, on Jan. 3, 1948. Growing up, Donna spent a lot of time with her grandmother Clementine in Hays, where she learned her values and traditional ways. One of the memories she always mentioned was picking chokecherries with her grandmother.

Donna enjoyed time with family and friends. She loved road trips and dinners with family. Every summer, she would make it a point to go to the Arapaho Sundance and be blessed by her Arapaho relatives. Donna was very in touch with her traditional upbringings and also a devoted Catholic. Donna enjoyed volunteering at the church in various capacities. She also enjoyed going to cursillos at the church, where she would pray and leave the cursillo rejuvenated and spread the word of God. Donna enjoyed beading and making moccasins, where she was eager to learn from her late mother in-law Olive Boyer.

She also liked going to pow-wows and camping. She enjoyed looking at garage sales and also having garage sales with her family. Going to the casino to “try her luck” was also a favorite pastime. Donna loved cooking large meals for family gatherings and would make chili, frybread and biscuits.

Donna left Hays to attend Flandreau Indian School, where she was sad to leave her grandmother Clementine. From Flandreau, Donna went to school at Haskell and later moved to Oakland, California, with the Indian Relocation Program, where she attended Heald’s Business School. Living in Oakland, she would also catch the train daily to work in San Francisco. While living in Oakland, California, Donna met the love of her life, Dwayne Queep Boyer, in 1968 and they were married shortly after. The couple was blessed with four children, Darnell Kenneth Boyer, Damien Darrius Boyer, Derek Matthew Boyer and Delena Lwayne Boyer. From Oakland, Donna traveled to Washington, D.C., where she worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs and later moved to Billing, to continue her career, raise her family and graduated from Montana State University-Billings with her degree in accounting. Donna retired with 42 years of federal service.

Donna was preceded in death by her husband Dwayne Queep Boyer; son Damien Darrius Boyer; grandchildren Tianna Redman and Shay Standing Rock; parents, Martha (Nez Perce) Buck and Clarence Joseph Brockie; grandparents Clementine (Women’s Dress) Nez Perce and Joseph Nez Perce I, and Mary Fox and Clarence Edward Brockie; brothers Georgie Brockie, Robert “Bobby” Brockie, Matthew “Jimmy” Brockie, Billie Brockie, Clarence Brockie II; and sister Bonita Buck.

Donna is survived by her children Darnell (Josie Redman) of Ethete, WY, Derek of Albuquerque, NM, Delena of Billings, Twana Buck of Washington, D.C., Beau Buck of Billings, Anthony Broncho of Fort Hall and adopted son Don (Pam) Gambler. Donna and Dwayne took Cletus (Earline) Cole of Billings, as their own. Donna was very close to Cletus while he was small. She and Dwayne had a special relationship with Cletus and his family.

Donna is also survived by her siblings Emory Champagne of Havre, Edward Brockie of Billings, Darryl Anita Brockie (sister-in-law), Kenny (Kim) Nicholson of Billings, Margaret Nicholson (Bones Doney) of Fort Belknap, Frank Buck of Bellingham, WA, Conrad Buck of Fort Belknap, Edwin (Sherry) Nicholson II of Billings, Vernon Brockie, Joey Brockie, Debbie (Bobby) Doney, and Nita Brockie, all of Spokane, WA, and Mary Top Sky of Rocky Boy. Extended relatives include the Eve Yellow Old Woman family, Melvin (deceased) (Theresa) Wadsworth (Cardston, Canada), the Platted Hair family (Canada) and the Albert Willow family, the Bear family of Ethete, WY.

Donna will be missed dearly, as her love for her friends, relatives and people was sincere. She loved all her friends and relatives with all her heart. Donna’s warm welcomes will be missed.