Our beloved wife, mother, grandmother, auntie, sister, daughter, & friend began her journey to the Big Sands, surrounded by family, on August 3, 2021, at Benefis Hospital in Great Falls, Montana.  A Rosary will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 5, 2021, and her funeral service will begin at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, August 6, 2021, all at the Hays-LodgePole High School Gymnasium.  Burial will follow in the Spotted Bird Creek Hawley Ranch Cemetery.  Holland & Bonine Funeral Home has been entrusted with arrangements.

Loretta Cecile Doney-Hawley "Letty" was born to Bruce and Ida Cuts The Rope Doney on February 5, 1954, at Fort Belknap Agency, Montana.  She carried the Aaniiih traditional name of "Striker".

Letty attended school in Hays and graduated from Harlem High School in 1972.  After high school she attended Montana State University in Bozeman for a brief period before moving back home to help take care of her family because, even though she wasn't the oldest child, she was the child her parents depended on to keep everyone in line.  Letty did go back to finish her degree, and in 1978 graduated from the College of Great Falls with a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education.  Thus began her career in the education field.  After graduation she taught school briefly and then started working for the Fort Belknap Education Department.  From there she worked briefly as the Children's Court Advocate for our Tribal Court System.  In 1991, she started working for Fort Belknap College from which she retired as the Student Support Services Director.  During the 19 years she worked for Fort Belknap College she also served her beloved students as College President.  While working as the SSS Director, Letty was elected to serve as the Montana State ASPIRE President from 1994-95 and in 2004, she was asked to be a national TRIO trainer for integrating student support services in a Tribal College retention plan.  Letty loved working with students and her students loved working with her.  But in 2010, with declining health she elected to retire.

Although Letty enjoyed working, what she loved the most was her family.  On July 4 ^th , 1970, Letty went on her first date with the man who would eventually become her husband, the love of her life, the father of her children, Vincent "Poncho" Hawley.  Poncho and Letty were married December 19, 1981, and spent the rest of her days together.  From this union, they had three children, however they lovingly helped raise many others who needed the support of family.  What Letty loved most was being a grandma!  As a traditional Aaniiih woman, she was Grandma to all her nieces and nephews' kids long before she was blessed with a grandchild from her own children but on her 50 ^th birthday, her son gave her the best birthday present of her life—her very first grandchild!  Along with her first granddaughter, she was blessed with an additional granddaughter and grandson from her children.  One of her favorite pastimes was sitting and being crazy with all her grandkids—she'd get on the floor and play with them, dance, and make jokes.

Letty was not only the rock of her own family she was also the rock for her extended family as well.  Born the third child of seven and with the oldest two off to boarding school she became the caretaker of her younger siblings.  She told many stories of growing up protecting Fluff, Elliot, and Sam like she was their mother.   Even as adults when something needed to be taken care of, she was the one everyone depended on.  She also had a very special and close relationship with her sisters Violet and Fluff and vowed to grow old with them.  Along with her Doney family, she was very close with her in-laws, the Hawleys.  She loved the family she married into and spent more than half her life as part of the Hawley family.  She often said she missed going out to cook dinner for her father-in-law and mother-in-law as she so often did while they were alive.

Letty is survived by her devoted husband, Poncho; her children, Paula Hawley of Hays, Justin (Tammi) Hawley of Havre, Teri Hawley of Hays, Lalonni Burke of Lapwai, ID, and Jeremy Limpy of Lethbridge, AB; along with her adopted mom Camie Doney.  She also leaves behind her grandchildren Lucian & Larissa Hawley, Harmonii Not Afraid, Moses, Tamani, Douglas, & Benjamin Pappan, Raven & Kara Limpy and many other grandchildren and great grandchildren.  She also will be missed by her siblings Violet Crasco, Florence "Fluff" (Donald "Duck") Horn, and Sam Doney, along with Ralph Doney, Russ Doney, and Darian Soennichsen.  She will also be missed by many nieces, nephews, and friends.

She will be greeted by loved ones gone before her, including her parents Bruce & Ida Doney; grandparents, Frank & Matilda Cuts The Rope and John R. & Flora Fluery Doney; her siblings Buzz Doney, John Doney, & Elliot Doney; adopted father Richard Doney and brother Wade Doney; her in-laws Davey & Virgie Hawley; and nephew DJ Crasco.

Mom was one of the strongest women I've ever known, outside of our Grandma Ida, Grandma Cecelia, Grandma Nucky, Grandma Esther, and Grandma Hazel.  She remained strong and gritty to the very end and we, her kids, all hope that we can be even half as strong as she was.