Sheldon Youpee

Sheldon Ray Youpee, 55, of Poplar died Nov. 10, 2020, in Poplar.

He was born on April 26, 1965, to Sharon Fay Youpee in Poplar. At a young age, he was adopted by his mother’s parents, Jim and Jeannette Youpee. He grew up in Brockton and played basketball all through high school. He graduated from Brockton High School on May 20, 1983.

He loved being outdoors. His favorite activity was hunting. He spent many evenings with each of his children and both of his grandsons, sitting down in the brush, watching for the deer to come out. He also loved to take a ride up north as the sun was going down, watching for deer and other animals. He had many hunting buddies. He remembered all their hunting trips.

He started working when he was 14 years old for the CETA program. He did odd jobs around Brockton like yard work, mowing lawns and hauling things away. When he was 18, he worked in the oilfields. He started working with his stepfather, Calvin Red Thunder Sr. He worked his way up to working on the rigs.

He worked at A& S Tribal Industries in the netting department. He liked pulling edge cord the most. It was while working at A& S, he met and married his wife, Ilenda Jane Thompson. Their first two children, Sean James and Tiffany Rae were born during this time.

His next job was working for the 1990 Census. When that job was over, he worked as animal control officer. During this time, their youngest son, Jim Thomas, was born.

He achieved his commercial truck driver’s license in 1993 at Fort Peck Community College. He then worked for Mark Rite Lines of Billings and helped create the turning lanes through Poplar on Highway 2. His favorite job was truck driving. He worked for Riverside Contracting of Missoula for many years hauling hot mix asphalt and different types of gravel and dirt across the state of Montana, rebuilding the roads and highways.

He missed his family, being away so much, so he got jobs closer to home. During this time his youngest child, Maria Joy, was born.

He worked for the Fort Peck Tribes in several positions. He was a bus driver for Transit and for Headstart. He worked for the Community Services Program, delivering meals to the Brockton, Riverside and Fort Kipp elders and helping in the Brockton Center.

He went back to truck driving for M.A. Deatley of Clarkston, Wash. They rebuilt Highway 2 from Brockton to 10 miles east. When that job ended, he worked at Commodities as warehouse manager. After that, he worked as weatherization maintenance supervisor, again helping the area elders, and supervising the community service workers.

He went back to truck driving yet again, for the Indian Reservation Roads program. He worked there seasonally, until he permanently broke his foot on the job.

His last job was working for Fort Peck Housing Authority as resident services counselor until he became disabled.

He was honored to have won the drawing for a buffalo hunt and killfully dropped the buffalo with one shot, hitting it right behind the ear. He considered this one of his greatest hunting achievements.

He was preceded in death by his infant daughter, Tiffany Rae; and sister, Denise Red Thunder.

He is survived by his wife, Ilenda; daughter, Maria; sons, Jim and Sean; three grandchildren; mother, Sharon; sister, Angeline; brother, Calvin “Chick” Jr.; and aunts whom he was raised with as their brother, Jamie Kay, Jeannette “Kate,” Millie (Marion).

Due to COVID-19 guidelines we are asked to keep attendance at the services limited to 30 individuals. Masks are required for all public services. Funeral services were held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 25, at Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel in Wolf Point. Interment was at Riverview Cemetery in Brockton. Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel has been entrusted with the arrangements.