Myrna Frances Greene

Myrna F. “Torchy” Greene (Cavanaugh) of St. Michael ND, passed away Wednesday evening, December 4, 2024, at her home surrounded by her loving family. 

 There will be a visitation on Friday, December 13, 2024 at St Michael’s Catholic Church beginning at 5:00 p.m. with a Rosary, Prayer Service and Time of Remembrance at 7:00 p.m. The procession to St. Michael will leave on Friday at 4:00 p.m. from City Plaza, Devils Lake. 

Mass of Christian Burial will be on Saturday, December 14, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Michael’s Catholic Church with burial in St. Michael’s Cemetery. Reverend Paul Schuster will celebrate the Mass. 

 Myrna, age 83, daughter of Frank and Sylvia (Strait) Cavanaugh, was born July 28, 1941, in Fort Totten, ND. She was raised in the Fort Totten and Saint Michael area attending school at Little Flower Mission School in St. Michael and graduated from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Devils Lake. She attended Haskell University in Kansas where she received her two-year in Business Administration in 1961. Once she graduated, she moved back home to start working for the IRS and soon after that, the BIA.

 Growing up she said she enjoyed going out to her grandmas- Mary Adele Dubois-Cavanaugh’s house. She used to go into the woods and pick berries in the summertime. She said her grandma had a nice big yard and we used to go out and pick rhubarb, strawberries, she also had rows of potatoes and when they dug them up, we would pick them up. She had cucumbers and corn too and a nice big garden, she also had a swing that we would swing on. She said her grandma spoke French fluently and worked at the school in St. Michael in the kitchen. Her grandma said the nuns at the school also spoke French and she liked going there to speak with them. As a little girl Myrna said she enjoyed spending time with her mom, saying that she influenced her the most because she spent a lot of time with her and that her favorite meal her parents cooked for her growing up was meatloaf. She enjoyed playing the piano, she took piano lessons in grade school. Played basketball in high school. At St. Mary’s in Devils Lake, she was in the pep club (not a cheerleader but we just cheered them on) she said. Enjoyed paint by number, jigsaw puzzles and playing cards. She said she played softball a lot in the summertime, stating that she was good at almost any sport. She roller skated okay not good but just okay. She danced good and said that we used to go down to CYC (catholic youth club) and listen to music there and dance, sometimes sit-down watch tv. Played pool and we had 2 bowling lanes and used to bowl as well. 

She worked 33 years with BIA, in the beginning of her career she was united in marriage to Lawrence Greene on June 15, 1963. At the BIA she worked as the Superintendent Secretary and retired in 1994 as an Administrative Officer. During her years with the BIA her and Larry welcomed their daughters Lori and Jacquie. Her retirement only lasted 6 months and she started to work for various areas within the tribe, with her last job being with the Employment and Training program until the pandemic hit in 2020, where she was forced to go home and stay home. At first, she protested and often said she missed going to work, but after a couple of months, she finally admitted to enjoying being home to watch her shows. 

Grandma was a devoted catholic, every Sunday she was tuned into church on tv, she also enjoyed going to bingo with her friends, playing rummy with her family, she loved the Hallmark and Gameshow Channels, anytime football season came around she was ready to cheer on her Vikings with her daughter Jacquie by her side, she enjoyed music, her favorite songs being Tennessee Whiskey and Honey Bee. She enjoyed having her grandkids and great grandkids come over and visit. Her presence will be missed dearly by everyone who knew her. 

 Myrna is survived by her daughters; Lori (Frank) Gourd, Jacquie (George) DeMarce.Special Grandchildren; Brittany Omen, Mitchell (Brittni) Greene, Drew (Steve) Rothermel, Frank Gourd Jr., George DeMarce III, Lance Gourd, Warren Greene, Maci McKay, Morgan McKay.Great-Grandchildren; Mitchell Jr., Ahburey, Michael, Larrence, Lylah, Freya, Lawrence, Brexlyn, Logan, Leilani. Special extended grandkids; Wambdi “Roger” Four and Kylie Gourneau-Jetty. Fur Grandbabies; Gustaf & Karma. Many many many Cousins, Nieces, and Nephews. 

 Active Pallbearers will be Mitchell Greene, Frank Gourd Jr., Lance Gourd, Warren Greene, Frank Gourd Sr., George DeMarce Jr., Rob Longie and Tom Longie.

 Honorary Bearers will be Barbara Flores & family, Randy Amaro & family, Ramona Cannon & family, Terri Welch & family, Timothy Longie & family, Annabel DeMarce & family, Areonna GreyBear & family, Isabel Leftbear & family, Paul Henry Cavanaugh & family, Jesse Cavanaugh & family, Joanne Smith & family, Tessie Brown & family, Mary Greene-Trottier, Rebecca Diaz & family, Nancy Robertson & family, Dave Cavanaugh & family, Jason Greene & family, Dixie Omen & family, Jennifer Black & family, Jolene Crosswhite and Ray Greene & Family, Robin Herman & family, Barbara Robertson & family, Flo & Kenneth Dunn & family, Cheryl Hefta, ReNa Lohnes & family, Anthony Balenton, Bethany Balenton, Jeanne Cavanaugh & family, Dolly Cavanaugh & family, Sonny Hinderscheit, Patricia & Iris Walking Eagle & family, Philip “Skip” Longie & family. Thank you to Spirit Lake Health Center, her urology team at Altru in Grand Forks and her favorite nurse Brad, Spirit Lake EMS, and the Employment and Training staff.

 She was preceded in death by her maternal grandparents; Maggie and Martin Strait, paternal grandparents; John and Mary Cavanaugh, parents; Frank and Sylvia Cavanaugh, her husband Lawrence Greene, her siblings; Dominic Strait, Gene Cavanaugh, William “Bill” Cavanaugh, Mary Longie, Aunts; Lillie Hinderscheit, Margaret “Kin” Barber, Irene Smith, Dorothy Amaro, Regina Strait, Imelda Strait and Martha Jones, Uncles; Daniel Cavanaugh Sr., William “Chip” Strait, Philip Strait, Max Cavanaugh, Arthur “Art” Cavanaugh, and John Baptist “JB” Cavanaugh, her best friend Delemma “Duma” Greywater; nieces Patricia Cavanaugh and Rochelle “Rocky” Cavanaugh and many other nieces, nephews, and cousins.