It is with great sorrow & sadness that we, the family of Shelly Mara Wadsworth announce her sudden passing on March 14th, 2022. She leaves behind: her daughter Hayley Grace; her grandsons Clarence Jr., Clint Jr.; her cat Oliver; & her dogs, Grape & Chop. Her mother Teresa & her siblings: Gary Eagle Tail Feathers; Verona (Marvin) Tailfeathers; Dale Day Chief; Lucille (Boyce) White Quills; Sonny (Terry) Wadsworth; Delray (Susan) Wadsworth; Toby Wadsworth; Pat (Karen) Eagle Tail Feathers; Annette (Roger) Young Pine; Anita (late Ronnie) Bullshields; her brothers Jason Steele; Billy Wadsworth & her Spiritual brother, Tinyman (Flora) Yellow Kidney & all their families.
Shelly was a gift to our family, born on Christmas day in 1969. Our mother asked us what we should name her & Delray said “We should call her Jesus”. Being left in the care of our grandparents and Great grandmothers while our parents were working, Shelly would be found swimming in the creek; the lake; the ditches alongside the road and even in the puddles of water that had collected at the corners of Grandma’s house. She was given the name “Iitsooyaapii” (Sitting in the water) by our late father. She was also known as: “Rusty”, during her teen years; “Mara” her middle and professional name; and “Becky –G” a name affectionately given to her by her grandson Clarence.
When Shelly was younger she was afraid of everything, especially George & Maxine, she would run & hide whenever they would come over. She was even afraid of horses, but eventually, she overcame her fear & learned to ride our Shetland pony, Mr. Ed. According to her, he was “her pony”. We all claimed him as “our pony”. She even had a lamb named “Bambi” that she raised. This lamb actually thought it was a dog, chasing after vehicles that came around. She often hosted camp outs with her cousins, which often ended with all of them piling into one tent because they were scared of the coyotes howling outside & everything else. Her best friends were Jason & Billy. One day, her & Jason went for a walk & never came back. It wasn’t long before the police were called & a search party organized. Those two were just watching from the bushes, too scared to reveal themselves. They thought they were going to get in to trouble. Billy was always asking when they were coming to visit, so he could play with Shelly. When we first met him as a baby, Shelly slapped him for no apparent reason. She even had two imaginary friends named David & Griselda. My mom would get kind of freaked out when she’d ask her to feed them too. As she grew older & began to acquire nieces & nephews they would all gravitate towards her. She was “the cool aunty”. Letting them try new things & allowing them the freedom to express themselves. She would sit outside & have a smoke with Skye, who incidentally was only 12 at the time. Shelly attended school all over the place: Lavern; Cardston; Drumheller; Calgary; & Edmonton (She met Robbie Lawrence here & made her a part of our family). She even travelled abroad visiting Paris & England. When we were little our dad would ask us if we were going to go to school at that big, long gray building across the coulee from Scenic drive. We’d nod our heads & say “Yes” not even knowing what it was. She graduated from the University of Lethbridge in 1997 & furthered her education graduating with her Masters degree in Psychology from the University of Oklahoma in 2004. Our dad was so proud of her. She worked at Children’s Services in Standoff, facilitating a group for young girls. Being their mentor, taking them places & just being their friend. Many of whom remained in touch with her until her passing. She also worked at Red Crow College at the satellite campus in Lethbridge. She worked as a Councillor for the Native parolees at the Stan Daniels Center in Edmonton & as a Native Liaison officer at the Saskatchewan Federal Penitentiary in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. Shelly had to retire due to her own personal issues that caused her to seek out refuge in ways that we were unable to stop or understand, ultimately, taking her from us.
Shelly is predeceased: by her father Melvin Wadsworth; her brothers Myron, & Ronnie Bullshields; her sisters, Patsy & Alanna Marie Wadsworth; Dolly & Penny Steele; her nieces, Tara Day Chief, Tia & Deedee Weekusk, & Breanna Steele; her nephew’s, Levi Steele; Tony Eagle Tail Feathers, Travis Holy White Man & Dakota Wadsworth; her Aunts, Alma Jeanette Eagle Tail Feathers, Catherine Holy White Man, Elizabeth Thompson, Darlene Pilling & Liz Scout; her Great-Aunts, Elizabeth (Isaac) Crow Chief; Maggie Badarm & Harvena Wadsworth;Annie (Frank) Big sorrel horse & Agnes Scout; her Uncles: Vincent & Pat Eagle Tail Feathers; Stan, Francis & Joe Scout; Johnny & Tex Dayrider; Great-uncles: Bill, Charlie (Lily); George (Ivy); Ross; Ben (Sarah); Louie (Mildred); Leo (Sophie); Emil Scout & Wallace Scout; Steven & Kitty Wadsworth; Willy Wadsworth; Phillip Wadsworth; Frank Eagle Tail Feathers, Bernard Eagle Tail Feathers; Eddy Little Shields; her Grand-parents Walter & Margaret Hindman, Lucy Wadsworth & Frank Scout; her Great-grandparents, Mortimer & Lily Eagle Tail Feathers, Willy & Annie Wadsworth; and her Great-great Grandfather Bobtail Chief.
Shelly has left behind: her family; her Godchild Skye, (Damien) Tailfeathers; nieces & nephews that she took as her own: Keiva, Kobin & Justice Steele; Cass & Duran Wolf Plume; Mikey Red Crow; Jerry Holy White Man; her Uncles: George (Doreen) Little Shields; Lucius (Pam) Wadsworth; Ron (Cynthia) Scout, Andy (Pat) Day Rider & Pete Day Rider ; Her Aunts: Sadie Wadsworth; Joanne (late Stan) Scout; Evelyn (late Francis) Scout, Rose (late Pat) Fox, Doreen (Jeff) Fox, Martha (late Winston) Day Chief, ; all the Wadsworth’s; the Eagle Tail Feather’s; the Scout’s; the late Isaac & Elizabeth Crow Chief’s children; the late Harvena Wadsworth’s children; the Day Rider’s; the Mills & all their families; Our relatives from Piikanii; Browning; Fort Belknap; Siksika, Eden Valley & Morley. She also leaves behind her many friends and most notably Tiffany Long Time Squirrel and Bubbles.
The Wake Service will be held on Monday, March 21, 2022 from 4:00 - 8:00 pm at Legacy Funeral Home, Cardston, AB. The Funeral Service will take place at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Blood Reserve, AB. on Tuesday, March 22, 2022 at 11:00 am. Interment to follow at the St. Paul’s Cemetery, Blood Reserve.
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Shelly was a gift to our family, born on Christmas day in 1969. Our mother asked us what we should name her & Delray said “We should call her Jesus”. Being left in the care of our grandparents and Great grandmothers while our parents were working, Shelly would be found swimming in the creek; the lake; the ditches alongside the road and even in the puddles of water that had collected at the corners of Grandma’s house. She was given the name “Iitsooyaapii” (Sitting in the water) by our late father. She was also known as: “Rusty”, during her teen years; “Mara” her middle and professional name; and “Becky –G” a name affectionately given to her by her grandson Clarence.
When Shelly was younger she was afraid of everything, especially George & Maxine, she would run & hide whenever they would come over. She was even afraid of horses, but eventually, she overcame her fear & learned to ride our Shetland pony, Mr. Ed. According to her, he was “her pony”. We all claimed him as “our pony”. She even had a lamb named “Bambi” that she raised. This lamb actually thought it was a dog, chasing after vehicles that came around. She often hosted camp outs with her cousins, which often ended with all of them piling into one tent because they were scared of the coyotes howling outside & everything else. Her best friends were Jason & Billy. One day, her & Jason went for a walk & never came back. It wasn’t long before the police were called & a search party organized. Those two were just watching from the bushes, too scared to reveal themselves. They thought they were going to get in to trouble. Billy was always asking when they were coming to visit, so he could play with Shelly. When we first met him as a baby, Shelly slapped him for no apparent reason. She even had two imaginary friends named David & Griselda. My mom would get kind of freaked out when she’d ask her to feed them too. As she grew older & began to acquire nieces & nephews they would all gravitate towards her. She was “the cool aunty”. Letting them try new things & allowing them the freedom to express themselves. She would sit outside & have a smoke with Skye, who incidentally was only 12 at the time. Shelly attended school all over the place: Lavern; Cardston; Drumheller; Calgary; & Edmonton (She met Robbie Lawrence here & made her a part of our family). She even travelled abroad visiting Paris & England. When we were little our dad would ask us if we were going to go to school at that big, long gray building across the coulee from Scenic drive. We’d nod our heads & say “Yes” not even knowing what it was. She graduated from the University of Lethbridge in 1997 & furthered her education graduating with her Masters degree in Psychology from the University of Oklahoma in 2004. Our dad was so proud of her. She worked at Children’s Services in Standoff, facilitating a group for young girls. Being their mentor, taking them places & just being their friend. Many of whom remained in touch with her until her passing. She also worked at Red Crow College at the satellite campus in Lethbridge. She worked as a Councillor for the Native parolees at the Stan Daniels Center in Edmonton & as a Native Liaison officer at the Saskatchewan Federal Penitentiary in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. Shelly had to retire due to her own personal issues that caused her to seek out refuge in ways that we were unable to stop or understand, ultimately, taking her from us.
Shelly is predeceased: by her father Melvin Wadsworth; her brothers Myron, & Ronnie Bullshields; her sisters, Patsy & Alanna Marie Wadsworth; Dolly & Penny Steele; her nieces, Tara Day Chief, Tia & Deedee Weekusk, & Breanna Steele; her nephew’s, Levi Steele; Tony Eagle Tail Feathers, Travis Holy White Man & Dakota Wadsworth; her Aunts, Alma Jeanette Eagle Tail Feathers, Catherine Holy White Man, Elizabeth Thompson, Darlene Pilling & Liz Scout; her Great-Aunts, Elizabeth (Isaac) Crow Chief; Maggie Badarm & Harvena Wadsworth;Annie (Frank) Big sorrel horse & Agnes Scout; her Uncles: Vincent & Pat Eagle Tail Feathers; Stan, Francis & Joe Scout; Johnny & Tex Dayrider; Great-uncles: Bill, Charlie (Lily); George (Ivy); Ross; Ben (Sarah); Louie (Mildred); Leo (Sophie); Emil Scout & Wallace Scout; Steven & Kitty Wadsworth; Willy Wadsworth; Phillip Wadsworth; Frank Eagle Tail Feathers, Bernard Eagle Tail Feathers; Eddy Little Shields; her Grand-parents Walter & Margaret Hindman, Lucy Wadsworth & Frank Scout; her Great-grandparents, Mortimer & Lily Eagle Tail Feathers, Willy & Annie Wadsworth; and her Great-great Grandfather Bobtail Chief.
Shelly has left behind: her family; her Godchild Skye, (Damien) Tailfeathers; nieces & nephews that she took as her own: Keiva, Kobin & Justice Steele; Cass & Duran Wolf Plume; Mikey Red Crow; Jerry Holy White Man; her Uncles: George (Doreen) Little Shields; Lucius (Pam) Wadsworth; Ron (Cynthia) Scout, Andy (Pat) Day Rider & Pete Day Rider ; Her Aunts: Sadie Wadsworth; Joanne (late Stan) Scout; Evelyn (late Francis) Scout, Rose (late Pat) Fox, Doreen (Jeff) Fox, Martha (late Winston) Day Chief, ; all the Wadsworth’s; the Eagle Tail Feather’s; the Scout’s; the late Isaac & Elizabeth Crow Chief’s children; the late Harvena Wadsworth’s children; the Day Rider’s; the Mills & all their families; Our relatives from Piikanii; Browning; Fort Belknap; Siksika, Eden Valley & Morley. She also leaves behind her many friends and most notably Tiffany Long Time Squirrel and Bubbles.
The Wake Service will be held on Monday, March 21, 2022 from 4:00 - 8:00 pm at Legacy Funeral Home, Cardston, AB. The Funeral Service will take place at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Blood Reserve, AB. on Tuesday, March 22, 2022 at 11:00 am. Interment to follow at the St. Paul’s Cemetery, Blood Reserve.
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