Florine Frankie Johnson passed away on November 13, 2017, after a seven-year battle with a terminal lung disease.  Frankie was given the Assiniboine name of "Kemesk" by her great-grandmother Walking Bird. A Wake will be held on Wednesday, Novemeber 15, 2017 starting at 7:00 p.m. and will continue until Thursday, November 16, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. when a Funeral Service will be held all at the Red Whip Center. Please visit Frankie's online memorial page and leave a message of condolence for her family at www.hollandbonine.com.

Frankie was born on February 7, 1953, to Clifford Johnson and Josephine First raised at the hold IHS Hospital.  She attended grade school and high school in Dodson, graduating in 1971.  After graduation, Frankie, her son Rob, and her mother moved to the Agency in their new Mutual Help home.  In 1991, she enrolled in Fort Belknap College and received an Associate Degree in Computer Technology and transferred to NMC one year later.

As a child, Frankie grew up without all the conveniences of life, and made sure her children knew this.  They just love her ketchup story.  She, her brother Billy, and her sister Jackie walked a mile to school in Dodson every day.  The family finally moved into town and lived across from the school.  Frankie, sister Jackie, and brother Kenny spent the summers playing baseball and riding horses, football in the Fall, and ice skating in the Winter.  Frankie loved horses, and this was reflected in her beadwork.

She and her siblings had their own sock hops in the bedroom, and played 45s on the old phonograph of 60's music.  Frankie loved 60's music and hairdos.  She curled her hair in rollers every day.

Frankie was always by her mother's side.  As a child, she would swat mosquitoes off her mother while she weeded the garden and helped her can the garden vegetables.  She was also in the kitchen while her mother baked bread every weekend.  She would help her mother scrape hides, and she and her sister Jackie would paint the numerous rawhide baskets that she made.  Frankie's mother taught her how to bead when she was in the 7 ^th grade, and she continued to bead right up until the end.  She enjoyed beadwork, and watching western movies and chick flicks.

Frankie began working for the Tribe in 1972, and it was Preston Bell that gave her the first job with the Tribe.  Over a span of 30 years, she worked for numerous programs, including the TGIP Program, Title VI Council of Aging, Indian Action Program, Land Department, AA Program, CHR Program, Commodity Program, Ft. Belknap Ventures Gift Shop/Tourism Program, Personnel Department, Property and Supply, and the Finance Department. She retired from the Tribe in 2014.

Frankie was one of the original founders of the Families for Our Warriors (FFOW) organization, which started in 2005.  This group was comprised of mothers, fathers, aunties, grandmas, and cousins of our warriors that were serving this great country during the Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Iraqi Freedom tours.  Frankie was very proud mother, as her son Lyle did two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan.  The FFOW did fundraisers and sent fleece blankets, care packages, and Christmas packages to many soldiers.

Frankie met her soulmate, Clyde J. Running Rabbit in 1984, and they spent 24 years together, and raised their granddaughter, Shai Pashen Webster, for 4 years so her mother could complete her college education.  They lived their lives to the fullest while raising her children and caring for her mother.

Frankie is survived by her five children, Rob (Connie), Ft. Belknap Agency, Roxanne, Jefferson, SD, Terry "Zeke" (Fawn), Lyle (Chelsea), and Tyrone, all of Ft. Belknap Agency.  She had 27 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.  Frankie always said she was richly blessed with daughters-in-law and grandchildren.

Frankie is also survived by her older brother Billy (Etta), Phoenix, AZ, sister Jackie, Nespelem, WA; and brother Kenny (Tammy), Havre.

She was preceded in death by her soulmate, Clyde J. Running Rabbit, Sr.; parents Clifford and Josephine (First Raised) Johnson; sister Valencia; grandson Xavier Johnson; nephew Derek Johnson; grandparents, Henry First Raised, Sr., and Alice (Gone High) First Raised; aunts, Evelyn Speakthunder, Katherine WindyBoy, Margie Bercier, and Mary Blackbird; uncles Bryan First Raised, Amos First Raised, Sr., Henry First Raised, Jr., Tommy First Raised, and James First Raised.

Frankie leaves behind many adopted sisters, adopted brothers, daughter, nieces, nephews, and grandchildren, and of course her dedicated cousins and support group that did everything for her during her sickness.

Special thanks to Cathy Aragon, Cherie Guardipee, Diane Perez, Hallie Gray, Mary Adams, and Lisa Campbell.  And special thanks to all the prayer warriors.