Wesley Gene Thomas

Wesley Gene Thomas, 53 of Minneapolis, MN, formerly of Fort Totten, ND died on Saturday, December 18, 2010 in Minneapolis, MN. A Wake for Wesley will be held at the Crow Hill Recreation Center, Crow Hill, on Wednesday, December 22, 2010, beginning at 5:00 p.m. with a Prayer Service at 8:00 p.m. The procession to Fort Totten will leave at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday from Wal-Mart. Funeral services for Wesley will be held on Thursday, December 23, 2010 at 10:30 a.m. at Crow Hill Recreation Center, Crow Hill. Fr. Charles Leute OP will officiate. Music will be provided by the Spirit Lake Singers and all other drum groups are invited to share their music. Burial for Wesley will be in the spring, at St. Jerome’s Catholic Cemetery, rural Fort Totten, ND. Serving as Casket Bearers for Wesley will be Joel Dunn, Branden Thomas, Marty Alex, Jerry Mudgett, Adrian Thomas, Sr., Melvin Graybear, Jr., Ron McKay, Sr., and Todd Yankton. Honorary Bearers will be Raynard Iceman, Wesley Littlewind, Isaac TwoHearts, “Tiger” DuBois, Carl Merrick, Maynard Dunn, Brenda WhiteTail and all Wesley’s dear relatives and friends. Wesley Gene was born on September 14, 1957 at Devils Lake, ND the second child of Herbert and Caroline (Gray) Thomas. Wesley lived in St. Paul, MN with his parents and two sisters, Lorey and Patricia Thomas. Wesley and his two sisters moved back to Fort Totten, ND where they were raised by their grandmother, Rosalie Thomas. He attended Wahpeton Indian Boarding School through 8th grade. In the later years, Wesley earned his GED by attending Adult Learning Classes in Grand Forks, ND. Wesley was a free spirit and loved to travel. He was a very talented artist. He made his living by selling his artwork throughout his travels. Although Wesley traveled often, he always made his annual trips home for Fort Totten to “check” on his family and visit his many relatives. Wesley loved to paint and draw, but his passion was mixed martial arts. He was intrigued by Bruce Lee and once traveled to Seattle, WA, to see Bruce Lee’s grave site and monument. One of Wesley’s dreams was to see the Statue of Liberty and he was able to make that dream a reality when he traveled to New York City. Wesley was a very humble, soft-spoken, gentle person, who will be loved and missed forever by his family and everyone who knew him. Wesley is survived by his sister, Lorey Thomas; Nieces and Nephews, Branden Thomas, Joel Dunn, Darika Thomas, Leandra Thomas and Daris Jetty; great nieces and nephews, Kenneth, Kaylee, Eliza, Talon, Landen, Damingo, David, Jolese, Patricia, and Ira; aunts, Christine Alex and Lorraine Greybear, as well as many cousins. Wesley was preceded to the Spirit World by his parents, Herbert and Caroline; sister, Patricia Thomas; and a brother in infancy; grandparents, Michael and Rosalie Thomas, Paul and Dora Gray.