Emmarine Rose Bigpond

Emmarine Rose (Hunts Along) Bigpond,"Abaada Ihaash", "Buffalo Has Different Front", 77 of Bristow, OK, passed away at the Hillcrest Hospital in Tulsa, OK, on Monday, May 15, 2023.
Emmarine was born into the Water Buster Clan and Child of the Three Clan June 27, 1946 in Minot, N.D. to Vincent Hunts Along Sr. and Margie (Fredricks) Hunts Along: She would be their only daughter of five children.
Emmarine grew up East of Mandaree N.D. in Independence near Heart Butte. While growing up she would love to saddle up the horses for her and her brothers to ride and pick berries for their mother, her brothers always eating more than they picked. Once while her brothers were horseback riding they would find a fawn that was left behind by its mother and bring it home to their sister. This gave Emmarine the golden opportunity to raise the fawn for several years until she left home for college. As the fawn grew, it would love her like its mother and would follow behind her everywhere she went.
Country life for Emmarine gave her the freedom to raise and care for many of the little wildlife needing attention. She also loved her horse, Brownie. She loved to barrel race and and dance Traditional at the pow wows for during of her youth and young adult life. Emmarine was always caring for her family, helping her mother cook and keep a presentable home, picking turnips and her favorite, lilacs with her brothers. She quickly picked up beading from her Grandmother Cora. She was creative and could do anything she put her mind to.
She was a fluent Hidatsa speaker and kept cultural teachings close to her throughout her life.
Her early years of education began at the Mandaree School where she would graduate. Smart and eager to learn more, shortly after her graduation she would travel with her aunts Mary Jane and CarolAnn to Los Angeles, California to attend Los Angeles Junior College where she would work on her Nursing Degree.
While attending college and living in Los Angeles she would meet the love of her life John Thomas Bigpond. Soon after they met, they married on May 7, 1957 in Oklahoma, where John grew up. They recently celebrated 66 years of marriage
together! Of their union they would raise four children. Thomas, Karl, Jason,and Marjorie.
Emmarine and John became travelers. They would make the journey to her home in North Dakota as much as they could from their home together in Oklahoma. And of course, travel to California, it was a special place for them, where life started their union.
Emmarine would become a phlebotomist working for IHS in Oklahoma. Many times patients wanted her care over others. She knew her job and always performed at the best of her ability.
Married life and raising children for Emmarine was always her adventure with John. They loved and raised their children. Making sure to attend each of their sporting events especially their baby Marjorie's basketball games.
They loved their life together and one of their many hobbies was swimming; leading to John and Emmarine once swimming across Lake Heyburn and back. Their sons would often try to race them but of course they were always the first ones back to the shoreline together.
Emmarine and John would find a great love for Jesus and Gospel Music and attend many revivals around the country with Sister Lucille Williams. Apprehensive to singing at first, Emmarine of course loved everything she did in life, she put her best foot forward and accomplished singing for the congregation and she even became a lay leader, so that she could further spread the Gospel of Jesus. Emmarine would come home to Mandaree and sing with her brothers for others who passed on until the early morning hours.
Throughout her life Emmarine was always most proud of her father's military service. Being a WWII Veteran and serving in the Special Forces, military accomplishments remained a special place in her heart.
John and Emmarine cherished their faith, family, and love for one another.
Emmarine is survived by her husband, John Thomas Bigpond; brother, Wilbur "Roberta" Sons Thomas, Karl, Jason "Brooke"; daughter, Marjorie; grandchildren; Jason (Geeba) Jr., Anthony "Jordan", Colby, Xavier, Talon, Zain, Eden, Zayana; great granchildren, Trinity and Ashley. She loved all her many nieces and nephews dearly
She was preceded in death by her parents, Vincent Sr. and Margie; brothers, Rhine, Vincent Jr., Jerald (Dan), Mark