Patricia Gail Buffalochief Denny

SIOUX CITY -- Patricia Gail Buffalochief Denny, 62, of Sioux City passed away Sunday, Dec. 7, 2008, at Indian Hills Nursing and Rehab Center surrounded by her grandchildren whom she adopted.

Services will be 10 a.m. Thursday, December 11, 2008 at St. Paul's Indian Mission, with the Rev. Anne Scissons officiating. Burial will be in Ponca Tribal Cemetery, Niobrara, Neb. Visitation will begin at 4 p.m. today and will continue until service time Thursday at the church. Arrangements are under the direction of Meyer Brothers Colonial Chapel.

Patricia was born Nov. 12, 1946, in Winnebago, Neb., the daughter of Luther and Ella Ruth (Knudsen) Buffalochief. She went to business school at Western Iowa Tech Community College. She was a secretary for the Ponca Tribe from April 20, 1998, to Oct. 8, 2003. She also ran the first Ponca Tribe office in Riverside. She worked for the Sioux City American Indian Center.

She loved beadwork, quilting, sewing, arts and crafts and was an avid Bingo player. Most of all, she loved raising and spending time with her five adopted grandchildren and family. Autumn Star Denny was the youngest grandchild adopted and was with her until the end. She was a member of St. Paul's Indian Mission. In her earlier years, she helped with the Girl Scouts.

Survivors include her husband, Chris Denny of Sioux City; five daughters, Germaine John, Ila DeCora, Eileen Bissonette, Kathleen Gilpin and Autumn Star Denny, all of Sioux City; four special grandchildren, Clyde, Ella, Cecil and Adrianna Hoffman of Sioux City; 19 grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; a brother, Elliot Buffalochief of Sioux City; and three sisters, Francine, Cheryl and Carol.

She was preceded in death by her parents; a daughter, Lori Ann DeCora; brothers, Daniel, James and Larvey; and a grandson, Ta-Canku Wakan.