Lorene Doney

Lorene “Bean” Doney passed away at her residence in Hays, MT on May 9, 2023. A Wake will be held Saturday, May 13, 2023, beginning at 5:00 p.m. at Hays Lodgepole High School. Funeral services will be Sunday, May 14, 2023, with Rosary being recited at 11:00 a.m. Burial to follow at the Hawley Family Cemetery, Three Buttes, MT.

 Bean was born on October 8, 1956, to Serena King and Max White, Sr. She attended school at St. Paulʾs Mission Elementary School, Fort Sill Indian School where she was the valedictorian of her graduating class and SIPI - Southwestern Indian Polytechnical Institute in Albuquerque NM where she earned her degree as an optometry assistance. Throughout the years, Bean was employed as an optometry assistant at the IHS, the Hays Post Office, Martinʾs Store and the Hays Lodgepole Elementary School.  

Bean met the love of her life, Ralph Doney in 1978 and they married in 1980. From this union, they were blessed with their two daughters Leann Wendy and Lachelle Wadena. Bean and Ralph had many people who they took in as their own and all had a special place in their hearts. 

As a child and in her teen years, Bean spent a lot of time with her King family, all who she called her brothers and sisters. Family was very important to Bean and she stressed that importance to all of her children as well. Bean loved to have fun and welcomed many people into their home to play cards and to just visit and have a good time. She traveled to Bingo with her mother Serena, sister Cookie and mama Granny June every week. In her later years, Bean developed a strong faith in God and this strengthened her bond with her sister Gig whom she affectionally called Ginger. Her baby sister Wendy continued to strengthen Bean’s relationship with God by reading scriptures with her and praying the same prayers Wendy and Gig shared.

Bean was a strong-willed, kindhearted person and although she tended to be stubborn at times, she only had good intentions and watched over everyone she knew. Because of the love she extended towards everyone, she became auntie or grandma to many people. Bean loved to tell stories and laugh; her favorite stories to tell her family was about when she was at camp crew school in Browning with her good friend Val Chopwood. Her sense of humor was well known as well as her beautiful laugh that we will all miss so much.

Bean was preceded in death by her mother Serena King LaRoque, father Max White, Sr, sisters Loretta “Cookie” Stiffarm, Georgiann “Gig” Doney, brothers Jeb Stiffarm, Jeb Stiffarm, Jr.

Bean leaves behind her husband Ralph, daughters Leann and Lachelle of Hays, MT, Allison Brockie of Hays MT, Sara Hawley of Fort Belknap Agency, Curry (Monty) Small of Havre MT, Sabrina (Gabriel) Doney-Lopez of Tuscon, AZ; sons Chuck Bear of Hays, MT, Devan Doney, Sr. of Lewistown, MT, Zach Flansburg of Hays, MT, Jaysen LaRoque of Texas; grandchilldren King Arthur, Trydell, Hazel, Taliyah as well as many others whom she loved so much; sisters Wendy Stiffarm of Browning, MT, Alice Marie Hockhalter of Havre, Mt; brothers William “Billy Whiskers” White, Max (Earth) White, Jr. and Alwayne (Val) LaRoque of Hays, MT, mother-in-law Camie Doney of Hays, MT, brother-in-law Russ Doney of Hays, MT and sister-in-law Darian (Tom) Soennichsen of Lewistown, MT; and all her numerous nieces and nephews whom she loved dearly.

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