We wanted to share about a colleague and friend who recently passed away. We are sharing to lift up her memory for those that knew her, and also to honor her passion for community with those who didn’t have the chance to know her in hopes it will connect with your experience of someone in your community or even yourself.
I first met Claudette 28 years ago when we started the North Dakota Tribal Rural Mentoring Partnership, the first group of Sources of Strength peer leaders at Dunseith, and the initial start with Turtle Mountain and YoungLife. Since then, we worked together on so many different youth projects over the years. We’ve traveled around the country training together and she’s helped me out so many times while talking with Sources of Strength teams from Alaska, across Canada, the US, Hawaii, and Micronesia. Her passion for youth, common sense problem solving, and great examples have lifted so many beyond the Turtle Mountain Community.
I’ve used so many Claudette stories in my own travels and trainings that many feel a connection to her even though they haven’t met in person. Needless to say Claudette became one of my dearest friends. We’ve been through many times of hilarious laughter, as well as times of intense sorrow, not only for the communities we’ve served, but in our own personal lives.
When I first received the news of Claudette’s passing, I was hit by such a great loss, followed by such thankfulness that I had been able to call Claudette a dear friend for so many years.
I immediately was struck with the word greatness. Many achieve fame, and money, and honors that are associated with being great, but that wasn’t Claudette’s greatness. All of us who knew her were touched by it. Her passion, her caring, her amazing generosity, her kindness, her showing up during normal days and some of our darkest times. Her greatness was in making so many feel special, cared for, seen, like we belonged, we were welcomed by her. She walked her life as a healing persona, a gift of healing, if you spent time with Claudette you generally walked away feeling better. She was a walking, breathing, living healer who wore her heart on her sleeve and touched so many. I feel blessed and thankful for having a friendship that changed me for the better.
Thank you Claudette, rest in peace and love.
— Mark
