Ruth Mary Hoodie-Lewis, 83, passed away Aug. 7, at her home.

Ruth was Northern Paiute, a full-blood enrolled member with the Burns Paiute Tribe, and a member of the Church of Living Waters. She had a solid belief in the Creator of this world.

She was born March 23, 1934, near Old Camp to Jack and Nina Hoodie. She lived with her mother, father, and siblings in this area until moving into the new camp area that is currently known as Burns Paiute Indian Reservation. In 1938, House No. 21 was a two-room schoolhouse, which she attended as a child. Growing up, she spent a lot of time with her many cousins, most who have passed on, but lived with her in spirit. Her great-aunt (Gramma Hannah) also helped raise her after her father passed. By then, in 1948, public schools opened. She attended Slater Elementary through high school in Burns.

When she became of age to work and learn a trade, under the Relocation Act, she worked in computer wiring, attending Electronic Corp. in Santa Monica, Calif. She also attended Arizona State Cooking Institute in Tucson, Ariz., and Career Institute for Adult Home School. In the late 1950s, she met and married her children’s father, the late Frederick Randall Lewis, (Pima) of the Gila River Indian Community. As a family, they lived in Burns, California, and on the Gila River Indian Reservation in Laveen, Ariz., where she worked teaching at the Gila Crossing Preschool, St. Johns Mission. In the early 1970s, she and all seven of her children returned to her home, residing in House No. 21. She was a hard worker all of her life; being both mother and father to her children. Mom was a simple person. She never asked for much, and made due with what she had.

She was a wonderful cook, and an excellent bread maker. From biscuits, yeast bread and rolls, to fry bread, she always prepared homemade meals from scratch for her family. She chopped her own wood, and made kindling to start fires to heat up the old house. She quietly listened to real, old-time country music, such as Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, and Johnny Cash to name a few. Throughout the years in her home, the radio station was always tuned in to the local station KRNS/KZZR. For many years, she prepared the fry bread dough for fundraisers as well as setting up a food booth at the local fair and rodeo, selling her Indian tacos. The yearly root-digging field trips that she attended were pleasant, and she would preserve the roots for the fall and winter months. She held employment at daycare, nursing home, and Burns elementary and high schools. She was awarded with numerous appreciation and achievement certificates for assisting the young. She worked for the Harney County Four C’s Learning Center and Oregon Head Start pre-kindergarten.

Along with an educated awareness and respect for cultural teachings and community involvement, she served as a valued member of the Tribal Council for the Burns Paiute Tribe. Her teachings came in many forms. In 1990, during the summer months, under the Cultural Resource Program, she began the teachings of the Paiute language to children. The children made her smile when they learned something new each day.

Mom retired June 10, 1999. She soon moved into her new home where pictures of family and friends filled a space on the inside, and she began flourishing the outside of her home with life and nature.

Soon after retirement, her valuable skills were put to use right away volunteering. All children were important to her, and she enjoyed being around her family and opened her door to visiting friends. She was passionate in anything she chose to do. Her passion was teaching, and she was very good at it. Her world was captivating and preserving the Ne Me language and its transcriptions. She received a certificate of completion from the University of Oregon. Cherished time was spent walking about her grassy yard surrounded by sage, rose and lilac bushes, the iris, hollyhocks, tulip flowers, the aspen, willow, plum, and apricot blossom trees. Some of her hobbies included being outside her home tending to the flowers that she planted herself, drawing flower patterns, and drawing animals for her culture teaching classes.

She had a good heart and always helped anyone who asked her — putting them before herself. Special times were spent on her travels outside of Burns to visit her grandson and great-granddaughter in Idaho, her granddaughters and family in the Southwest, and playing a slot machine or two while there. She enjoyed traveling with her friends and a “driver” all through her life, attending language gatherings in Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, and California. Even at a young age, she and her siblings traveled along with their father all over the outskirts of the Burns area, near places in the Drewsey area where he’d go to cut juniper and build fence posts for the local ranchers. Up to the day Mom passed, she never drove a motor vehicle. She once said as long as she lived in Burns, she would walk to her destination. (Luckily, after Dial-A-Ride was established in Burns, she safely went into town and back to House No. 21.)

She was a very strong person, strong-willed enough to become a self-employed Native American bead crafter who coordinated wonderful, colored beads made to be worn into embellishments. From her heart and with her hardworking hands, she made many unique beaded gifts for her friends and family. The teachings of her beadwork, as well as the makings of moccasin out of buckskin from deer hide, have touched many different lives of her students. The last beading project that she made was for her granddaughter, Schelicia, to wear on her graduation day from the Phoenix School of Nursing. Every other day, two hours a day, she worked on her project for Schelicia. By April 7 of this year, a pair of moccasins, medicine pouch, medallion, and hair ties with a pair of earrings to match were completed. She was truly an artist.

She was delighted in telephone conversations from her friends and family. Every so often, her pet dog, Lala, brought comfort to her just by lying near her bed. She also had three, little rabbit friends that hopped through her yard on cool mornings, and hummingbirds whirled around her flowers for nectar. Comfort came in different forms that gave her a small, quiet laughter she felt brought open heart and mind.

Sadly, she had several health issues the last couple of years, which she battled hard. Even though her body was weak, her mind and spirit stayed strong. She fought very hard, even throughout her illness, to keep her family together, without interruption, loving all wholly.

“Manemetuupe”(Creator) saw you getting weary and did what He thought best.

“Manemetuupe” came and stood beside you and whispered ‘kimau come and rest’.

It broke our hearts to lose you, but you did not go alone.

A part of us went with you the day “Manemetuupe” took you home.

Those she leaves behind to cherish her memory are her sons, Randall Lewis, and Vincent Lewis; daughters, Glenda Thompson (Al), JoAnne Aspaas (Frank), Monica Jackson (Daniel), and Schemel Lewis; grandchildren, Shayna Lewis, Sasheena Lewis, Marcus R. Lewis, Amanda Aspaas, Schelicia Aspaas; great-grandchildren, Skylar, Jean, Shine, Wii Ada’a; and many grand-nephews and nieces.

No more hip pain nor aches and suffering, “Ni Pia’ will be reunited with her mother and father, Nina ‘Tha da’ Dick-Hoodie and Jack “Waa a u’ Hoodie; her two older brothers, Leon Hoodie and Wallace Hoodie; her younger sister, Norma Mae Hoodie; and one son, Marcus Antonio Lewis.

Funeral services were held at the Gathering Center located on the Burns Paiute Reservation on Aug. 12. Those helping to lay Ruth to rest: casket bearers, Brian Thomas, Eric Hawley, Daniel Jackson, Todd Richards, Antoine York, Garrett Sam, Lonnie Teeman, Vince Lewis, Bruce Sam, and Kevin Bacon. Her honorary pallbearers: all of her children, grandchildren, and nephews and nieces, her many relatives, friends, and extended family.

She was laid to rest at the Old Camp Indian Cemetery near Burns (next to Mark). Ruth’s care was entrusted to Lafollette’s Chapel in Burns. Her presence will be missed dearly by many; her big heart and open door will be greatly missed by all who knew her.