Leroy Longknife Sr. 81, Army veteran and retired rancher, died
on Friday, March 4, at Billings Clinic of natural causes. Wake services will be Monday night at the Chief Nosey Center in Lodge Pole. Funeral services will be 11 AM, Tuesday, March 8, the Chief Nosey Center. Burial with military honors will be on the family ranch on Beaver Creek. Condolences for the family may be left at www.kirkwoodfuneralhome.com. Kirkwood Funeral Home of Malta is in charge of arrangements.
Leroy Longknife, Sr. was born on March 5, 1929 one of seven children to Roy and Rose (One Man) on the family ranch at Beaver Creek. He was full blood Indian of both Gros Ventre and Assiniboine descent who spoke the Assiniboine language fluently. His Indian name was “Tracks” (Oh- ya in the Assiniboine Language and Naw-thay-It in the Gros Ventre Language). When he was very young his sister Lena nicknamed him “Spud”. He grew up and attended school in the Beaver Creek area. Later he attended Flandreau Indian School in South Dakota. He was a good cowboy and ranch hand working many ranches in the surrounding area during his youth. He loved horses and rodeo. As a teenager he and his faithful horse “Steel” were well known for running endurance races winning a race from Hinsdale to Glasgow and another from Chinook to Havre in record time. He was a good all around rodeo hand well known for his team and calf roping ability. He bought his first calf horse named “Tuffy” from Ed Kirkaldie a Morgan & Quarter horse cross, he called it a “Pinowise” breed. He would practice calf roping on him with his cousin Clarence “Chips” Gives. Throughout his life he raised thoroughbred horses for racing.
In 1951 he joined the Army. He served during the Korean Conflict. During his six years of service he met his first wife Yuriko Yano. To this union two daughters were born Rosie and Dianna. During his time in service he was in the Military Police and earned the rank of Sergeant. After being honorably discharged 1956 he traveled around working in various places including the Butte Copper Mines and Hughes Aircraft in California (12 yrs) where he also attended welding school. After a divorce from his first wife and returning home he married Ruth Buckman. They have five children Dion, Wilburn, Leroy Jr., Leanna and Caide. After coming “home” he worked at various jobs including BIA Roads, Firefighting, BIA Maintenance, Fort Belknap Housing, Welder, Police Officer (17 yrs), Tribal and State Livestock Brand Inspector and Headstart Bus Driver. He tried to retire but just couldn’t sit idle so he went back to work and finished his long career working six years as an Indian Health Service Security Guard retiring a few of years ago.
Leroy enjoyed many things in life including training boxers, organizing rodeo, playing music, hunting and storytelling. For years he helped train local boxers and encouraged his sons to participate. He also helped organize a local rodeo club and again encouraged his children and grandchildren to participate. He loved to watch his children and grandchildren compete and were very proud of them, win or lose. He was a talented musician playing guitar, steel guitar and singing. He made a record with Bob Lyles recording the songs Cross My Heart and Hiway Paved with Tears. He also performed with the “Misfits” and one time while attending the Police Academy in Roswell, NM in 1972 he performed with Johnny Rodrigues. He also performed in the local towns of Zurich, Hogeland, Turner, Dodson, Malta, Hays, Zortman etc. He loved to hunt and when living in California would return home to visit and hunt. Leroy loved to tell stories while drinking coffee. He was also will known for his sometimes lengthy visiting sessions where he would talk about some of his favorite subjects; family history, the “old days”, being in the Army ,rodeo, horse and foot racing, boxing and of course “ghost stories”.
Leroy made many friends throughout his life. He was a quiet gentleman, very thoughtful, helpful, and considerate. He read the Bible everyday and prayed at every meal. He had a fruitful and filling life. He loved his family and friends. He will be greatly missed.
Surviving family include his wife Ruth, daughters Rosie (Harold “Jiggs”) Main, Dianna (William “Snuffy”) Main of Fort Balknap, Leanna (Delbert) Perry of Billings, sons Dion (Devona) Longknife of Poplar, Wilburn (Quiana) Longknife of Havre, Leroy Longknife, Jr. of Fort Belknap, Caide (Stacey) Longknife of Havre, two sister Eunice Longknife of Fort Belknap. Marie Birdtail of Lodge Pole, adopted granddaughter Renae Longknife Durham of Fresno Calif, adopted brothers Lyle Cochran of Lodge Pole and William “Indian” Brisbo of Malta, Roger ‘Jiggs” Longknife of Hays 37 grand and great grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents Roy and Rose (One Man) Longknife, a brother Wilburn, sisters Lena Longknife, Katherine Ereaux, Neomi Abbott and Ella Moore.
Guest Book
From: Corina Venable
Lyle and family....
So sorry to hear of Uncle Leroy's passing. He was always special to me when I was a little girl. I have never forgotten the ghost stories he told. My thoughts and prayers are with your family now and always.
Love and peace
Corina
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