Teresa Danks

bird Danks was born in

Elbowoods, ND on Oc-

tober 9, 1933 to Jesse

Everette Youngbird and

Benjamin Youngbird. She

was a Member of the

Maetsi Doga-Flint Knife

Clan and a child of the

Apuka Pika-Low Cap

Clan.

She was a

great-great-great- grand-

daughter of Arikara Chief

Sun of the Star and Chief

Joseph Youngbird. He was

the last elected chief of the

Hidatsa. She was one of

thirteen children. She was

given the name (Stee

Tani) Morning Tale by her

grandmother, Fannie

Everette. All her life, faith

and spirituality were cen-

tral to her family life.

When she was young her

family would go to dif-

ferent relatives’ houses

and have prayer meetings.

They would pray together

and sing gospel music, ac-

companied by a piano in

the background. As a

child she went to Catholic

boarding school in Marty,

SD and graduated high

school from Flandreau In-

dian School.

Teresa married John

Danks, August 17, 1954.

They were eight days

short of their 64th Wed-

ding anniversary. Togeth-er they had seven chil-

dren, Debbie, Carolyn,

John Jr., Kayla, Delphine,

Paul, and Richard. They

lived in many places in-

cluding New Town,

Garrison, Eagle Butte,

Pine Ridge, Aberdeen and

Belcourt. Every time they

moved; they had another

child. Mom and Dad

helped raise some of her

brothers and sister, many

other nieces, nephews

and grandchildren

throughout the years, be-

cause she so loved them

all.

Teresa loved children;

she taught at Edwin Loe

Elementary as a

para-professional kinder-

garten teacher’s aide for

30 years. She taught

Catechism at St. Anthony

in New Town for 30 years,

was a Eucharistic minister

and gave communion to

those who were shut-in

their homes. She spent

her retirement years pray-

ing for people, she said

her ministry was to go to

homes or where people

would pray and talk about

Jesus and eternal joy. She

attended many wakes and

funerals to sing gospel

songs. She always wanted

to console those who were

going through a hard

time. She always stopped

on the street to talk to

those who were struggling

and prayed with them.

Wherever she went she

could start a conversation

with anyone to talk about

the goodness of our Lord

Jesus.

She was brought up

with native spiritual ways

and saw the similarities,

she knew they all lead to

the Lord our Creator. She

loved all churches be-

cause she loved our Lord.

She was blessing to us all

and will be missed dearly.

Teresa Danks, 85, of New

Town, died Friday, Au-

gust 9, 2019 at the

McKenzie County

Long-term Care Facility in

Watford City.

She is survived by: her

husband of 64 years, John

H. Danks, children, Deb-

bie (Charles) Chase, New

Town, Carolyn Danks,

Watford City, John (Barb)

Danks, New Town, Kayla

Danks, New Town, Del-

phine (Jim) Baker, New

Town, Paul (Annette)

Danks, Watford City and

Richard Danks, New

Town; siblings, Magdaline

Yellowbird, White Shield,

Greta Whitecalf, White

Shield, Marilyn Young-

bird, Denver, Joe Young-

bird, White Shield, Felix

Youngbird, Wahpeton and

Sara Youngbird, New

Town; grandchildren,

Dustin Ward, Matthew

Danks, Marc Porter, Billy

Danks, Christopher

Houle, Tessa Baker, Jariah

Danks, Christa Houle, Jes-

si Baker, James Baker,

Zack Danks, Evelee Danks

and Sierra Delphine

Danks and many

great-grandchildren,

nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in

death by: her mother,

Jesse Everette, father, Ben

Youngbird; brother, James

Youngbird and Hans

Youngbird; sisters,

Laverne Phliger, Pliga

Bourdeaux, Delphine Hall

and Margie Youngbird;

and grandchildren, Merci

Mae Baker and Joseph

Danks

Funeral: Tuesday, Au-

gust 13, 2019 at 10:00 am

in St. Anthony Catholic

Church, New Town.

Wake: Monday, August

12, 2019 at 5:00 pm in the

Northern Lights Commun-ity Center, New Town.

Family and friends

gathering Monday from

2:00 – 4:00 pm in

Langhans Funeral Home,

Parshall.

Interment: Immaculate

Conception Catholic

Cemetery, rural White

Shield.