Walks Along, Victoria Long Jaw (1937-2007)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 2007 Nov 19 p. 8

Birth date: 1937 Jan 14

text of obituary:

VICTORIA WALKS ALONG

Victoria Long Jaw Walks Along (Victory Woman), 70, of Lame Deer, Mont., died June 27, 2007. She was born on Jan. 14, 1937, to Frank and Rose Long Jaw in Lame Deer.

She went to school at Busby and later attended Flandreau Indian School in Pierre, S.D. After completing the 11th grade she married Joe Walks Along Sr. on Aug. 3, 1955. Together they served God as a pastor and Sunday school teacher at Lame Deer Mennonite Church.

She was noted for her beadwork, her cutting of dry meat, teaching Sunday school to small children, accompanying Pastor Joe Sr. at community events and Christian gatherings and tending to her black cows. Her most memorable journey in carrying the good news of Jesus Christ was when they traveled to Guatemala under MCC in 1992 to encourage the Native Indian people being persecuted by government “death squads” for being Christians.

They were respected elders and spiritual leaders. They touched the lives of many people, and God protected them in their commission to carry the word of hope and salvation to those in need. She had grown weary in her battle with cancer and told her family that she wanted to peacefully conclude her journey on the Earth upon the ground her Cheyenne ancestors fought so hard for.

Survivors include a daughter, Sharon Three Fingers and her husband, John, of Lame Deer; seven sons, James Walks Along and his wife, Florene, William Walks Along and his wife, Clarice, and David and Victor Walks Along, all of Lame Deer, John Walks Along and his wife, Patti Ann, of Busby, Isaac Walks Along and his wife, Lori, and Joseph Walks Along Jr. and his wife, Lynn, all of Muddy Creek; her adopted daughters, Debbie Russell, Joey Toews and Elaine Little Bird; her adopted sons, Lawrence Neiss Jr., Maurice Limberhand Jr., Andrew Mandan, Terry Widrick and his wife, Cara, Fred Rausch, Steve Brady Sr. and his wife, Linda, and Otto Braided Hair and his wife, Barbara; an adopted grandson, Cheyenne Big Hawk; her sisters, Agnes Bear and Irene Bearquiver; her adopted sisters, Dolly Hiwalker, Bertha Freeman and Agnes Little Head; 42 grandchildren and 36 great-grandchildren.

Services were held at Lame Deer Mennonite Church and in the Lame Deer Allen Rowland Gymnasium. Burial was in the Walks Along family cemetery.