Inez Hunter Youngbear (Ah-te-ni-sha)

Inez Hunter Youngbear (Ah-te-ni-sha), 78, of Tama passed away Friday, November 28, 2014 at Sunny Hill Care Center in Tama. Traditional Graveside Services will be held Sunday, November 30, 2014 at 2:00 PM at Meskwaki Cemetery on the Meskwaki Settlement in rural Tama with Homer Bear Jr. as speaker. A Traditional Wake will be held Saturday evening, November 29, 2014 at the Bear Clan Ceremonial Building on the Meskwaki Settlement.

Inez was born on January 19, 1936, in Toledo, Iowa, the daughter of Kenneth and Minnie (Hunter) Youngbear and spent most of her life in the Tama area. She attended a few boarding schools and returned home and started her family.

She briefly worked at the settlement school as a teacher’s aide and transported community members to appointments. In 1988 she received her Bachelor of Science in Family Services from Iowa State University, an accomplishment she was very proud of. She went on to work at Family Services in Ames. She moved back to Tama and took a job at Meskwaki Casino in the Bingo department. She enjoyed her position there because she liked meeting new people and made many new friends. In her spare time she enjoyed watching her many TV programs which included Golden Girls, CNN, HLN, and was a military buff. She was a big fan of Lefty Frizzell and the Iowa Hawkeyes. She also loved listening to her oldies radio shows and doing crosswords. One thing she especially enjoyed were her many grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great-great grandchildren.

Survivors include seven children, Brenda Ackerman of Ames, Regina Papakee, Jon Papakee, Allen Papakee, Suzy Papakee, Ronnie Roberts, and Shawn Roberts all of Tama; twenty-two grandchildren, Merlin Jr., Marlena, Marion, Lanie, Malin, Erin, Bryan, Kayla, Dakotah, Skylar, Joshua, Mercedes, Payton, Ronissa, Ronnie Jr., Jalen, Kallie, Brennan, Devon, Araya, Aiden, and Patrick; twenty-five great grandchildren; two great-great grandchildren; and six siblings, Gerald Youngbear of Tama, Beatrice Youngbear of Tama, Irvin Youngbear of Tama, Joyce Kapayou of Tama, Leon Youngbear of Tama, and Allen Young of Wyoming.

Preceding her in death were parents; four children, Patrick Papakee, Lanie Papakee, Patricia Roberts, and Ernest “Beets” Roberts III; one granddaughter, Rachel Youngbear; and two brothers, Timmy Youngbear and Jerry Youngbear.

Kruse-Phillips Funeral Home, Tama-Toledo is assisting the family with arrangements.