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Roosevelt County - Boarding Schools in Montana

Background Info/ Historical Story:

“This is written about her father "The Late Reverend Lloyd Red Eagle", and the church that was named in memory of him. The Lloyd Red Eagle Memorial is located in the eastern end of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in the community known as Fort Kipp. This church was known as the Upsijawkpa in the early beginning when the first early missionaries came to this area. My father was born in 1889 to Jefferson Red Eagle (Wa nica) his Indian name, and Elsie Red Eagle (Her Holy Blanket). Jefferson's father was named Red Lac and his mother's name was Hail (Wa u). Jefferson was born in 1885 and died August, 1941. Elsie was born in 1889 and died on October 25, 1930. My father attended the Poplar boarding school where he completed the trade as a shoe and harness maker. His first job was in a shoe shop in Sidney, Montana, where he saved his earning·, later to return to Fort Kipp and with his brothers they farmed for their livelihood. They were the early farmers at that time. On December 14, 1918 he married Jenni Smith in Poplar. Jennie was born in 1901 to Mr. and Mr . Frank Smith in Poplar. Frank was born in 1879 and died in June 21, 1918 . His father was named Bear Whirwind and his mother was Good Women. Her mother Harriet Conger was born to Brown of (Yellow) shirt and Joseph Cloud Hail. Harriet' mother died in 1886 and her father in July 15, 1942.

My mother Jennie, attended the Poplar Boarding School and the Wolf Point Mission and Waheton Boarding School in North Dakota. My mother never chose her husband, she was given to my father by arrangement by their parents, which was our natural Indian way. He was twelve years older than she was. She also changed her faith, the Catholic Church to his, the Presbyterian Church. This period, the early missionary to the Fort Kipp area was Joseph Rogers, who had great influence on our people. To this marriage four children were born, Joyce, Winifred , Oliver and Milton Jefferson who suddenly died at the age of two years from Spinal Meningitis. At this stage of their lives, a Rev. Homer Red Lightning was the pastor of the Fort Kipp church known as the Upsijawakpa and with his influence my parents became active in the responsibilities within the church. My father was elected and accepted to be the janitor of the church, later to be a Deacon and finally to be elected Elder of the church. He had retired his traditional Indian Warrior dancing clothes that my mother had made for him since their marriage, and also put away his Indian Drum and his tick. He adopted and accepted another way of life to dedicate his life to mission to all people.”- Roosevelt County’s Treasured Years, Joyce Red Eagle Tootooi

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