Virgil Joel Caske-Running Bear Sr.

Virgil Joel Running Bear Sr., 65, Bismarck, North Dakota, passed away Saturday, November 24, 2012, at Sanford Health, Bismarck. Funeral Services will be held at 1:00 PM, Saturday, December 1, 2012, in the A.J. Agard Memorial Building, Fort Yates with The Rev. Canon John Floberg and Rev. Lindsay Dwarf officiating. A wake service begins at 5:00 PM with a prayer service at 7:00 PM, Friday, November 30, 2012, also in the A.J. Agard Memorial Building. Burial will be in Reed Cemetery, Fort Yates. Virgil Joel Caske-Running Bear Sr., was born November 24, 1947, to Joseph and Grace (Fool Bear) Running Bear. He was raised along the Missouri River below where Prairie Knights Casino is now located. The family ranch kept him busy with horses. He broke many saddle horses and was a saddle bronc rider at rodeos. Some of his rodeo companions were Joe Harrison, Loren Fredericks, Robert "Bruz" Luger, Tom Baker, the late Albert Left Hand, Phillip "Cowboy" Halsey, and Delano "Bull" Grey Bear. He attended first and second grade in Cannon Ball. About this time we were ordered to move back to Fort Yates with the river rising. He continued his education at Fort Yates. While in school, he played basketball and ran cross country. He ran with Wally Balliet and Ben Halfe. At cross country meets his main competition was the late Tyrone White of White Shield, North Dakota. It got so Tyrone took first or Virgil took first. Virgil enlisted in the US Army and served in Vietnam. He was wounded twice, earning a Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts. He was in the 82nd Air Bourne Division. He told stories of many conflicts in Vietnam, the DMZ, crossing over to Cambodia where he was wounded. Virgil was honorably discharged on January 1, 1975. When he returned to the US "home" he shared a union with Alwin Red Stone from which a daughter, Jaclene and a son Virgil Jr. were born. Later he met and married Roberta Bell and they had three sons, Raymond, Nickolas, and Joel, and a daughter, Yana Camille, who was later killed in an auto accident on October 22, 1994. Virgil lived in Fort Yates until his health became worse. He was on dialysis, had heart problems, and his leg amputated. He danced grass dance since he was very young and became a champion. He traveled with Johnny Smith, Minneapolis, Minnesota, his cousins, the late Alex Spotted Elk, George Running Bear, and his late nephew Kenneth "Sioux" Rainbow. He started singing with Sioux, and later started Running Bear Drum Group with his sons. Virgil was a heavy equipment operator, working with Doedon Construction, Williston, Westland Oil, Williston, and Flickertail Construction where he worked repairing the Mobridge, South Dakota Bridge. He traveled with Flickertail all over repairing bridges. He worked at various jobs all as a heavy equipment operator. He traveled to many powwows and rodeos in several states and Canada, making numerous friends and brothers. He is survived by his children, Jaclene (Andy) Grey, Waubay, South Dakota, Virgil Jr., and Nickolas; both of Bismarck, Raymond, Mobridge; two sisters, Arverdell See Walker, LaVonne Running Bear, Fort Yates; brothers, George Fool Bear Sr., Cannon Ball, Gary Little Bird, and Howard Eagle Shield, Fort Yates, Bob St. John, Moorhead, Minnesota, Phil St. John, Mandan, Randy Phelan (Youngbear) Mandaree, 14 grandchildren; and adopted son, Warshield White, New Town; and very special granddaughter, Josephine Laundreaux, Fort Yates. Virgil was preceded in death by his parents, Joseph and Grace Running Bear, grandparents, Charles and Rose Fool Bear, David and Lucy Running Bear; daughter, Yana Camille Running Bear; brothers, Charles Sr., Leo, Reuben, and Edward, Running Bear; sisters, Germaine and Edwina Running Bear; nephews, Charles L. Running Bear Jr., Stanley See Walker Jr., aunts, Florence Little Bird and Myrtle Cottonwood; uncles, David (Agnes) Running Bear and Charles Fool Bear; and many cousins, nephews, and nieces.