Michael C. OneBear Sr.

Michael C. One Bear Sr., 74 of Fort Totten, ND passed away on Thursday, January 23, 2020 at Fort Totten.

Visitation will be at the Dacotah Oyate Lutheran Church, rural Tokio, ND on Tuesday, January 28, 2020 from 5:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. with a Prayer Service at 7:00 p.m. Funeral Services for Mike will be on Wednesday, January 29, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. at the church with Reverend Larry Thiele officiating.

Michael Cletus One Bear Sr. was born on November 29, 1945 at the General Hospital in Fort Totten, ND the son of Mary Agnes Hunt-Hopkins. Starting at the age of 4, he was raised by his adoptive parents, Jacob and Martha One Bear in the Tokio/Woodlake area. He attended grade school at the old Calvary Square School in Fort Totten and graduated from Warwick High School with the class of 1966.

In 1974, Mike married Bessie (Vicki) IronHawk and to this union came their four children, Tammy, Lindsey, Michael Jr., and Fawnda. They made their home together in the Tokio/Wood Lake area.

Mike Sr. lived his whole life on the Spirit Lake Nation and worked hard to support his family. He worked in maintenance at the Elderly Housing in Fort Totten. Mike was also a driver for the O’Tonka Club for many years.  He was a bus driver for the Four Winds School District from 1998 to 2015 (and earlier), retiring many times, but he always went back to the job he loved. Mike permanently retired from driving bus in 2015 due to health issues.

He loved his family with all his heart and loved his Lord. He felt very fortunate to live many years at the previous Dacotah Oyate Lutheran Church, and later in the new church after it was built. He took his job as caretaker very seriously and enjoyed mowing the church lawn with the old push mower. For the past several years, he made his home at the Norma Lambert Rainbow Memorial Home. He had many old friends and also made new friends while living there. Mike may have graduated a Warwick Warrior, but his heart belonged to the Four Winds Indians.

Mike’s loving family include his children Tammy (Erich Jr.) Longie, Tokio, ND, Lindsey (Pat Schmid) One Bear, Devils Lake, Michael OneBear Jr., Devils Lake and Fawnda (Scott) Solwey, St. Michael, ND; grandchildren: Mitchil, Draven, Orianna, Trajan, Taiyana, Kylia, Raelyn, Juneau, Silas, Marius, Quinn, Slaid, Paisley, Colton, Jayden, Jade, Jace, Chaunteen, Kaylani, Linsey, Bentley III, Ian, and Darmahn; and One Great Grandchild Aero Gaking-Ewert. Sister Pamela Hopkins-Rainbow, Fort Totten and numerous nieces, nephews and many other dear relatives.

He was preceded in death by his mother Mary Agnes Hunt-Hopkins, Adoptive Parents Jacob and Martha, Granddaughter Baby Schmid, siblings Richard “Sunny” Cavanaugh, Shirley Hopkins, Harry Hopkins Jr., Charlotte Hopkins-Rickford, and Baby Boy Hopkins. Other family members, aunts Alice OneBear and Florence OneBear, uncle Henry OneBear, brothers Robert “Bob” Redroad Sr., Russell Redroad, Abraham Redroad, sisters Beverly OneBear and Sharon Redroad Thundershield.

Active Pallbearers:

Arthur Carmona, Patrick Schmid, Scott Solwey, Jason IronHawk, Robert LittleWind, Trajan One Bear, Robert IronHawk

Honorary Pallbearers:

Larry and Darla Thiele Family, Bonnie Leftbear Family, Bill King, Kermit WalkingEagle, James Jetty, Cletus Lawrence, Perry Kopp, Phaedra Jackson, Esther IronHawk Family, Clayton Blueshield Family, Harlan Blueshield, Marty Greywater, Lincoln Redroad, Clint and Trudy LaRoque, Connie Charboneau, Bentley Sr. and Melissa Grey Bear, Bentley Grey Bear Jr., Duane and Robin Smith, All residents of the Norma Lambert Rainbow Memorial Home, and All drivers that have worked with Mike throughout the years.

If we forgot to mention anyone, it was not intentional and please accept our apologies. Mike was a well-known man in the community and will be greatly missed, especially by his family.

Thank You to Spirit Lake EMS staff for their efforts to save our Dad, it was appreciated:

Jamie Lightizer-Paramedic, Heather Joshua-EMT, Ryan Jetty-EMR Driver, Anthony Charboneau IV-EMR Driver, and Myra Cavanaugh-Dispatch