Ruth A. Martinez

Ruthie A. Martinez, 29, of Billings, went to be with loved ones in Heaven on Friday, Sept. 5, 2014.

Ruthie was born Sept. 10, 1984, to Laurie A. Doney and Ezekiel Calderone. Ruthie was taken in infancy and adopted by Robert and Betty Martinez. Ruthie is a descendent of Chief Pretty Eagle and is part of a rich legacy. Ruthie was a Greasy Mouth and a child of the Piegan. She always looked forward to meeting with friends and family at the Crow Fair celebration. She was raised in Billings and was baptized at Emmanuel Lutheran Church and attended Awanis Christian classes until the sixth grade. She received her high school education at Weber Basin in Utah. She went on to higher education at MSU Billings and received a certification in the culinary arts. She was employed most of her adult life in the food service industry.

Ruthie is preceded in death by her birth mother Laurie A. Doney and her adopted mother Betty Martinez, her grandmother Ruth M. Gardner Lira, grandfather Warren Doney, and her great-grandparents Priscilla Stewart Gardner, Issac (Mary Agnes) Shane, Donald (Olive) Stewart Sr., James and Lorrane Doney, uncles Carl Dean Crooked Arm and Marc Lira.

Ruthie is survived by her companion of eight years, Nathan Simonson, and her three children, Selina, Adrian and Kassandra (Kassie) Martinez; her father, Robert Martinez; her brother Robert (Elcha) Martinez; adopted brothers Adrian, Angelo and Antonio; sister Laura Gomez; adopted sisters Priscilla Clubfoot, Tonitta and Tanisha; Ruthie's aunts and uncles, Berdina (Bill) Stops, Stewart Martinez, Billie (Burdick) Two Leggins, Tina M. Cline, Vincent (Jewel) Crooked Arm, Anthony Parrish, Chris (Angela) Takes Gun Parrish; the Martinez family, including Victor, Tony, Helen, Lydia, Tom, Ernie, Phillip and Arthur; grandparents Agnes Joy Parrish, Nellie (Mac) Silverhorn, Thomas (Donna) Gardner, Bertha (Lawrence) Old Bull, Butch (Christina) Gardner, Sandra (Preston) Grant, Rita, Ikey Shane and Gary Doney; great-grandparents, Alice Mae LaForge, David Stewart Sr., Wilma (Lawrence) Stands, Rueben (Elizabeth) Stewart, Beverly (Thomas) Pretty on Top, Dorcella Little Light and Alta Birdinground; siblings, Sereatha, Noel, Nicole, Sariah, Son-Son, Jalen, Khylah, Marc, Renee, Neecho, Addie, Princess, Crystal, Nellie Ruth and Magdaline.

We would like to acknowledge her closest friends, Ceta Big Medicine, Kim Kelch, Kevlene Not Afraid, Saraya Grant Nez Perce, Emma (Lena) Johnson, Misty Eagle Feathers, Judith Whiteman, the Johnson boys, Laurie Hunt, Corey Johnson, Marcel Johnson, Latoya Halverson, Ashley Caufield and Ritchie Jackson.

Extended family include the Stewart, Shane, Gardner, White Clay, Laforge, Big Lake, Spotted Horse, Old Crow, Yellowtail, Wagner, Diggs, Martinez, Doney, Simonson, Hunts and Garcia families. Her family is very large; if we missed anyone in this time of sorrow, please forgive us.

Funeral Services will be held Tuesday, Sept. 9, at the Bullis Funeral Chapel. Interment will follow in the Fairview Cemetery. Bullis Mortuary has been entrusted with the arrangements.