sad news

[Kathleen Shea]

Jimm,

I heard through his adopted sister April (Aunt Josetta's daughter) that he had colon cancer, which, unfortunately was not caught early.  I hadn't been in touch with Tom for some time but kept up on news about him through Sister April.

Some of the good memories I have of Tom exemplify his thoughtfulness.  The first year or so that I was around the Poncas in Oklahoma (1994 or 1995), I was invited to attend the Hethushka dance.  I didn't know at the time that my being invited meant that I would be given something.  I heard my name called out by the M. C. (Abe Conklin at the time), and I was given a blanket!  Tom had provided the blanket for his friend Jimmy Duncan, who was joining the Hethushka Society, to give away.  They had decided to give it to me to encourage me in my work of studying the Ponca language.  I remember thinking that it really does pay to be a linguist!

Another time, I was visiting Tom and his family at their home in Tulsa, and, as is the Ponca custom when someone visits for the first time, he gave me a gift--a copy of the set of sixteen tapes that had been produced during the project conducted by anthropologist William Leap in the 1970's and Uncle Parrish William's sister Martha Grass, among others.  These tapes, with the accompanying booklet The Ponca World (which I photocopied from Bob Rankin's copy), are no longer available, and my copy was a copy Tom had had professionally made of his set.

Tom also filled me in on aspects of Ponca culture and society.  He encouraged me to put on a dinner for the Ponca elders, because he thought that that would be an appropriate gesture, and much later I followed his advice by sponsoring a dinner in conjunction with the Ponca Language Arts Council, Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma, where, at Uncle Parrish's suggestion, we invited Barbara Warner (a Ponca and Oklahoma Commisioner of Indian Affairs) to be the guest speaker.  The dinner was a success, I think, as evidenced by the fact that several elders stood up and talked, a couple of them even addressing the group at length in Ponca.  Sadly, most of those elders are now thiNge...thiNgai (are gone).

Kathy
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Jimm GoodTracks 
  To: siouan at lists.Colorado.EDU 
  Sent: Monday, March 22, 2010 7:15 PM
  Subject: Re: sad news


  Kathy:
  I am uncertain if I knew him personally, however his name is quite familiar.  Whatever did he pass on from as I see he was only 51yoa.
  Jimm
    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: Kathleen Shea 
    To: siouan at lists.Colorado.EDU 
    Sent: Monday, March 22, 2010 6:01 PM
    Subject: sad news


    I'm am sorry to report that Siouan list member Tom Leonard passed away on Saturday, March 22.  He was a longtime member of the Native American Church (Ponca Chapter) and an avid student of the Ponca and Osage languages.  He was also a longtime friend, and I've always known him to be helpful and generous with his time, knowledge, and sharing materials.  His adopted Ponca family will honor his wish to be buried next to his adopted mother, Josetta Rush, in the Ponca Indian Cemetery.  The funeral will be Tuesday, March 23, at the Ponca Indian Baptist Church.  A full obituary can be read in today's Ponca City News at www.poncacitynews.com.

    Kathy Shea
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