Ashley Lozeau
RONAN — Ashley Lizette “Sister Bear” Lozeau, age 21, passed away on Saturday, Nov. 5, 2016, in the middle of the night surrounded by her loved ones at St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula, due to complications from an attempted suicide. She was born on Nov. 15, 1994, in Polson to Ken Lozeau Sr. and Yevette Makes Cold Weather.
Ashley was born in Polson and raised in Elmo. When Ashley was younger, she loved going to school every day seeing her teachers and friends. She was a part of the Gifted and Talented program. She received a CSKT Education Department Student of the Year Award in 2004. She attended and graduated from Two Eagle River School in 2013. While in high school, she played volleyball, managed the basketball teams, learned how to bead and sew, and was the Student Council President. She loved participating in extracurricular school activities. Ashley studied at Salish Kootenai College in Pablo for a short period of time. She started working as a waitress and enjoyed it greatly, as it gave her the opportunity to meet new people and reconnect with friends and family.
Before she passed she had been living in Ronan with her family. The family gatherings were some of Ashley’s favorite past times, especially birthday parties or celebrations of any sort. Ashley’s brothers, sisters, nieces, and nephews meant the world to her and she loved spending time with all of them. The special bond she had with each of them made her very protective of them. She loved all of her parents dearly. Before Ashley’s grandmother from Elmo passed away, she would often spend time visiting with her. Ashley would also make her yearly visit for a week or two during the summer to stay with her grandparents and other family, in Browning.
Ashley was very fond of music and listened to a wide variety of genres, round dance songs being one of her favorites. Her passion was to sit in her room to make music and write lyrics in her “handy dandy” notebook(s). Ashley was an artist at heart and enjoyed finding ways to do her make-up to create new and beautiful looks. When Ashley was younger she wanted to be a veterinarian because of her love of animals and her need to help. She learned to ride horses and loved to watch barrel racing; she had even wanted to become a barrel racer. She loved her two pets Nelson the cat and Papi the dog, as well as the three other family dogs. She called Dewey (dog) her brother because he came to the family when she was only 5 years old.
She was very proud of her culture and took pleasure in attending the Bitterroot Dig, Kootenai Falls Ceremony, and Jump Dances every year. She also was learning more and more of the Kootenai language. She liked listening to the Blackfeet creation stories her grandmother Sandra would share with her during her visits to Browning. Ashley enjoyed going to powwows where she would also visit with family and friends.
Making everyone around her laugh, by doing hilarious things or joking around, always made her feel good. Ashley liked watching movies and would often quote them, which would put a smile on others’ faces. She was the type of friend others would go to for support or to lean on. She was always trying to help others feel better or cheer them up so they wouldn’t feel alone. She loved making memories with everyone and enjoyed taking “selfies” with them to save and cherish the precious moments she had with them. She had a way of making people feel special and brought out their “inner” child.
Ashley was intelligent, creative, beautiful, kind, caring, sincere, fun, generous, loyal, and so much more. Loved dearly by many, she will be deeply missed by her parents, brothers, sisters, and the rest of her family and friends. She left quite the impression on everyone and the memory of her will live forever in our hearts.
She was preceded in death by her maternal grandparent Everette MakesColdWeather Sr.; paternal grandparents Lovina Rose Lozeau Big Beaver and Terry Mervin Ahenakew.
She is survived by her parents Yevette (MakesColdWeather) and LeRoy Black Jr. of Ronan; Ken (Winona) Lozeau Sr. of Elmo; her grandparents Sandra (Reevis) and Frank Rides At The Door of Browning; Joe and Francine Dupuis of Pablo; LeRoy (Mary) Black Sr. of LaPush, Washington; her siblings Lillian Black, Levi Lozeau, Tony Lozeau, Rosie Black, Terrence Lozeau, Nikki Burke, Tristan George, Kristan Hewankorn, ShayLyn Andrew, Kenneth “KJ” Lozeau Jr., Kaylene Matt, Lucus (Karsyn) Black, Jonel Kallowat, Le-Roy Black III, Tish (Colin) Kallowat and numerous nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Rosary services were held on Tuesday evening at 7 p.m. The funeral services for Ashley were held on Wednesday, Nov. 9, at 10 a.m. in Elmo at the Hall following with burial services at Dayton Cemetery.
Junior Caye conducted services. Cross Bearer was Daryl Conko Camel and her pallbearers were Clay Burke, Benjamin Covington, Edmond Dupuis, Steven Scott, Eddie Spears, and Howard Walker.
“If love could have saved you, you would have lived forever, …” author unknown.
Please get help if you or someone you know may be feeling suicidal or need to talk or call 1-800-273-8255.
Memories and condolences may be sent to the family at: www.thelakefuneralhomeandcrematory.com.
Arrangements are under the direction of The Lake Funeral Home and Crematory.
