Madeline Cerese Baker

Madeline Cerese (Ma-

son) Baker was born to

Michael Mason Sr., and

Carolette (Smith) Mason

on October 31, 1945, in

rural Mandaree, North

Dakota. She was delivered

at home by her grand-

mother Phoebe Wolfhead

Smith, a well-known mid-

wife in the community.

Madeline, or Cerese, as

most knew her had two

names, an honor given to

people held in high regard

by their communities. She

held the Hidatsa name

‘Naa Axx Piihe’ – Long

Hair (Horse Mane), and a

Mandan name, Mataaxo-

pini’ Opus meaning the

diamond pattern on the

back of a rattlesnake. She

was a member of the Miri

Padi, or Waterbuster clan,

and a daughter of the

AwaXee

Naawida/Dripping Earth

clan. Cerese grew up in a

household of Hidatsa

speakers and was raised

very close to her clan kin-

ship ways, customs, and

ceremonies, and spoke

her language fluently. She

was a woman of deep

faith and observed her

Waterbuster lifeways as

she had been taught by

her parents. Her journey

to the spirit world began

on Thursday, June 16,

2022.

Cerese attended school

in Mandaree until her

teenage years, at which

point she moved to Santa

Fe, New Mexico, and at-

tended Santa Fe Indian

School, which eventually

became the Institute of

American Indian Arts.

She was an outstanding

softball player, basketball

player, and skilled horse

rider. She loved to hit the

dance floor at a sock hop,

listening to Motown,

Elvis, the Beatles, Fats

Domino, Ritchie Valens,

and classic country. At-

tending Santa Fe opened

her eyes to a broad world

of arts and music which

she brought home with

her when she eventually

returned to Mandaree and

graduated from Mandaree

High School in 1963. She

subsequently attended

school to become a dental

assistant. Cerese worked

throughout communities

on Fort Berthold as an ad-

ministrative assistant, a li-

brarian, and a certified

nursing assistant. Cerese

was very well known for

her outstanding work eth-

ic and pouring herself

into whatever work she

took on, including her

many volunteer ventures

providing service back to

her people.

Cerese met Emerson

Baker while they were

both working at Mandaree

School, and they married

in 1967. To this union

were born five children:

Enos, Marle, Scott, Twyla,

and Blair. Cerese was the

ultimate sports mom.

When she was not

volunteering her time in

the community, she was

spending time raising her

children and following

them to their sporting

events, driving to prac-

tices, supporting teams,

and cheering in the

stands. She supported the

New Town Eagles well

into her elder years, as

she continued to follow

her grandchildren in their

athletic pursuits as well.

She was deeply proud of

all her children and

grandchildren’s achieve-

ments, both personal and

professional. She believed

in higher education and

proudly watched as her

children gained degrees.

Cerese held a special

place for emergency

responders as her sons,

grandsons, grand-

daughters, and other rela-

tives were firefighters.

She started the annual 4th

of July Firefighter’s Feed

with just a grill and a few

salads, and it grew into an

event the firefighters

could look forward to for

nearly 20 years, supported

by her family members

and other community

members.

She carried a deep

sense of service and work

ethic throughout her life,

which she passed on to

her children and

grandchildren. “If you got

time to lean, you got time

to clean” was her work

motto, and she spent

years proving it, working

at the Four Bears Motor

Lodge, the New Town

Nursing Home, and even-

tually ending up in retail

at Flying J, Superpumper,

and then Four Bears

C-Store. She believed that

there was no shame in

hard work, and though

she held supervisory posi-

tions, you would often

find her cleaning floors,

restocking shelves, and

cleaning right alongside

her direct reports. She

would outwork anyone,

and that was proven as

she gained recognition

from her employer as Em-

ployee of the Year for

Four Bears Casino so

many times in a row, that

eventually the casino

created a special award

just for her, to give other

employees a chance. By

the time she retired, she

was Director of Retail,

which included Lucky’s

restaurant, the Marina,

the Blue Buttes Gift Shop,

and the C-Store.

Cerese spent much of

her retirement in service,

as was her way. She

found a sisterhood in the

Ladies Auxiliary Unit 300

and spent many happy

days bringing back

veterans and doing ser-

vice work on their behalf,

in honor of her uncles

and brothers who had

served. She enjoyed visit-

ing with her friends at

elders’ events in town and

throughout the reserva-

tion and loved a drive to

Minot to have a meal and

shop. She frequented

powwows to hear her

sons, nephews, & brothers

sing, especially her broth-

er Clyde Smith and his

sons. Cerese cherished

her family and extended

family, and never ack-

nowledged cousins, only

more brothers and sisters,

as was proper for Hidatsa

families. She was a moth-

er, aunt, sister, and grand-

mother to so many, in-

cluding several adopted

children and grandchil-

dren.

Cerese is survived by

her brother Matthew

“Screech” Mason, sister

Lyda Bearstail, sons, Enos

(Bethany), Marle (Mary),

and Blair (Jena), and her

daughters Twyla, Angel

Palmersheim (Brandon),

Edie Whitehorse, Marietta

Heart (Nelson), Amber

Finley, Ruth Anna Buffalo

(Brian), Prairie Rose Semi-

nole, Dakota Seminole,

Kelly McGrady (Jason),

several grandchildren,

one great-grandchild, and

many nieces and

nephews.

She was preceded in

death by her parents

Michael Mason Sr. and

Carolette (Smith) Mason,

her siblings Michael Ma-

son Jr., Vivian Doris Jetty,

Winston Mason, Colette

Goodiron, Winona Arlie

Mason, Wallace Mason,

Frederick Mason, Wesley

Mason, Quentin Mason,

an infant girl Mason, and

her son Noel Scott Baker.

Her legacy of love and

compassion lives on in all

the lives she touched, and

she will be missed dearly

by all those who loved her

as she makes her way

back to her family

members who have gone

on.

Cerese’s funeral was

held on Mon. June 20,

2022 at Northern Lights

Wellness Center in New

Town with her wake the

evening before. She was

laid to rest at New Town

Cemetery in New Town.

(Langhans Funeral

Home, Parshall

www.langhans

funeralhome.com)