1949
Timothy
2014
Timothy Yellow
December 24, 1949 — August 23, 2014
Timothy Joseph Yellow, Sr, 64, Fort Yates, ND died August 23, 2014 at the Fort Yates Hospital in Fort Yates.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 am on Wednesday, August 27, 2014 at St. Peters Catholic Church, Fort Yates, ND with Brother George Maufort, S.D.S. presiding.
Visitation will be held Tuesday, August 26, 2014 from 6:00-8:00 pm at Weigel Funeral Home, with a Parish Vigil at 7:00 pm. Visitation will continue at the church one hour prior to the service on Wednesday.
Tim was born on December 24, 1949 to Arthur and Georgina (Molash) Yellow in Fort Yates, ND. He was raised and educated in Fort Yates. Tim married Jackie Larson on June 7, 1974 in Fort Yates. Tim devoted his life to two special things: his family and serving the healthcare needs of the people on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation. From the age of twenty on, he held a variety of healthcare positions until he was forced to retire due to his own health issues.
Leaving for college at the age of 17, Tim graduated from Children’s Hospital of Los Angles School of Radiology in 1969. He returned to Standing Rock and worked for a year at the public clinic/hospital in McLaughlin, SD. In 1971, he was hired at Indian Health Service (IHS) in Fort Yates as an x-ray technician. The following year he enrolled in the new Physician’s Assistant program at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, graduating in 1975. He continued to work at HIS until the WIC program (Woman, Infants and Children) was started and he joined the early team who established the program and were praised for the unique level of care in meeting children’s needs, which were always a priority for Tim. He worked at WIC for many years until asked to assume the role as Tribal Health Director. He was a long term employee in this position. His opinion was well respected; he worked with a variety of people from senators, the state, other tribes, the CDC as well as being involved in regulatory commissions concerning national safety and terrorism issues, and early attempts to set up a national health care system during the Clinton era. Tim lobbied for and was an advocate for additional federal funding for Indian people, including: Veteran’s services, SD/ND tribal healthcare funding for Standing Rock and often acted as a spokesperson for other tribes as well.
Tim received many job offers over the years because doctors came and went from HIS and wanted Tim to join them in Alaska, British Columbia, Atlanta and a variety of other places. He was always faithful to Standing Rock and would never leave. He was honored to be hired as the CEO/Service Unit Director at HIS in 2000 and held this position until his retirement.
Tim’s hobbies included gardening (particularly planting trees), “eating out”, being involved in family activities, having a good dog as a companion, hunting fishing and following Vikings’ football.
Tim will be deeply missed by his wife of 40 years, Jackie (Larson) and 3 children; TJ (Amanda), Bismarck, Brandon, Mandan and Lisa (Palani) Luger, Fort Yates. So important to him were 7 year old granddaughters, Noelle Luger and Cali Jade Yellow. He is also survived by his brother, Steve (Joette), Fort Yates; sisters, Laurie (Lonnie) Lindteigen, Bismarck, Renee, Joyce and Vivan; sister-in-law, Audrey (Wayne) Nelson, Pierre, SD; brother-in-law, Randy Larson, Gettysburg, SD; daughter, Bobbi Jo, Aberdeen, SD; special cousins, Ron and Don Yellow and Carl (Denise) Ducheneaux and many special nieces and nephews.
Tim was preceded in death by his parents, Georgina and Art Yellow, his brother, Glen and special friends, Gary Murphy and Gary Netterville.
Pallbearers will be, Steve Yellow, Jr., Chris Yellow, Palani Luger, Kyle Laundreaux, Richard Laundreaux, Jr. and Drew Murphy.
Tim had many good friends and buddies. We tried to create a list of honorary pallbearers, but it became too long to print. Suffice to say there were special colleagues from all avenues of his work, the poker table crew, telephone and “ga-yah-pe” buddies, fellow hunters and fishermen, the Pierre gang from years of holidays gatherings and the generous and warm hearted personnel at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, and Sanford Clinic and Hospital, Bismarck and the many special people he met along the way throughout his life.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 am on Wednesday, August 27, 2014 at St. Peters Catholic Church, Fort Yates, ND with Brother George Maufort, S.D.S. presiding.
Visitation will be held Tuesday, August 26, 2014 from 6:00-8:00 pm at Weigel Funeral Home, with a Parish Vigil at 7:00 pm. Visitation will continue at the church one hour prior to the service on Wednesday.
Tim was born on December 24, 1949 to Arthur and Georgina (Molash) Yellow in Fort Yates, ND. He was raised and educated in Fort Yates. Tim married Jackie Larson on June 7, 1974 in Fort Yates. Tim devoted his life to two special things: his family and serving the healthcare needs of the people on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation. From the age of twenty on, he held a variety of healthcare positions until he was forced to retire due to his own health issues.
Leaving for college at the age of 17, Tim graduated from Children’s Hospital of Los Angles School of Radiology in 1969. He returned to Standing Rock and worked for a year at the public clinic/hospital in McLaughlin, SD. In 1971, he was hired at Indian Health Service (IHS) in Fort Yates as an x-ray technician. The following year he enrolled in the new Physician’s Assistant program at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, graduating in 1975. He continued to work at HIS until the WIC program (Woman, Infants and Children) was started and he joined the early team who established the program and were praised for the unique level of care in meeting children’s needs, which were always a priority for Tim. He worked at WIC for many years until asked to assume the role as Tribal Health Director. He was a long term employee in this position. His opinion was well respected; he worked with a variety of people from senators, the state, other tribes, the CDC as well as being involved in regulatory commissions concerning national safety and terrorism issues, and early attempts to set up a national health care system during the Clinton era. Tim lobbied for and was an advocate for additional federal funding for Indian people, including: Veteran’s services, SD/ND tribal healthcare funding for Standing Rock and often acted as a spokesperson for other tribes as well.
Tim received many job offers over the years because doctors came and went from HIS and wanted Tim to join them in Alaska, British Columbia, Atlanta and a variety of other places. He was always faithful to Standing Rock and would never leave. He was honored to be hired as the CEO/Service Unit Director at HIS in 2000 and held this position until his retirement.
Tim’s hobbies included gardening (particularly planting trees), “eating out”, being involved in family activities, having a good dog as a companion, hunting fishing and following Vikings’ football.
Tim will be deeply missed by his wife of 40 years, Jackie (Larson) and 3 children; TJ (Amanda), Bismarck, Brandon, Mandan and Lisa (Palani) Luger, Fort Yates. So important to him were 7 year old granddaughters, Noelle Luger and Cali Jade Yellow. He is also survived by his brother, Steve (Joette), Fort Yates; sisters, Laurie (Lonnie) Lindteigen, Bismarck, Renee, Joyce and Vivan; sister-in-law, Audrey (Wayne) Nelson, Pierre, SD; brother-in-law, Randy Larson, Gettysburg, SD; daughter, Bobbi Jo, Aberdeen, SD; special cousins, Ron and Don Yellow and Carl (Denise) Ducheneaux and many special nieces and nephews.
Tim was preceded in death by his parents, Georgina and Art Yellow, his brother, Glen and special friends, Gary Murphy and Gary Netterville.
Pallbearers will be, Steve Yellow, Jr., Chris Yellow, Palani Luger, Kyle Laundreaux, Richard Laundreaux, Jr. and Drew Murphy.
Tim had many good friends and buddies. We tried to create a list of honorary pallbearers, but it became too long to print. Suffice to say there were special colleagues from all avenues of his work, the poker table crew, telephone and “ga-yah-pe” buddies, fellow hunters and fishermen, the Pierre gang from years of holidays gatherings and the generous and warm hearted personnel at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, and Sanford Clinic and Hospital, Bismarck and the many special people he met along the way throughout his life.
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