Isabelle Mary Charwood

Endasobaakaakonigekwe Endasobakaakonigekwe gii-zhaaganaashiwinikaazo Isabelle Mary (Howard) Charwood. Ogii-wiinigowaan niizh mediwijig gaa-daawaad Chi-aachaabaaning oodenang miinawaa gii-chiikendam ji-dazhimaad gaa-wiinigowaad. Endazhi-ganawenimaawaad Ininaatig Aakoziwigamigong gii-maajaa gii-ayaad imaa, Onaabinigiizis niizhtana ashi niiyogonagizid, niizhing midaaswaak ashi niizhtana ashi niso-biboonagak. Endasobaakaakonigekwe ogii-nitaawigi’igowaan Ernestan miinawaa Rose’an Howard Sr., iwapii gii-iskigamizige-giizis midaaswi ashi zhaangasogonagizid midaaswaak ashi zhaangaswaak ashi niimidana ashi ingodwaaso-biboonagak imaa Waawaashkeshiiwi-zaaga'iganiing, naawayi’ii Anishinaabewaking. Gii-ombigi imaa Gaa-zagaskwaajimekaag Ishkoniganing, mii gaye gii-apiitenimod gii-ozhibii’igaazod imaa Gaa-waabaabiganikaag Ishkoniganing; gii-onji-noonde-niishtanawewaad netaa-ojibwemojig eta go megwaa gii-ayaawaad nawaj igo midaaching midaaswaak ashi nishwaaching midaaswaak gaa-ozhibii’igaazowaad iwapii niizhing midaaswaak ashi nishwaasobiboonagak gii-babaa-asigimigaazowaad wejibwemojig omaa naawayi’ii Anishinaabewaking. Ogii-nagishkawaan Walteran (Wallyan) Charwood Jr. Endasobaakaakonigekwe, gii-oshkii-ayaawid mii gaye gii-oniijaanisiwaad niizh abinoojiyag Giniwmiigwan Kevin Charwood miinawaa Ginagijiin Tickley Bernard Charwood gii-wiiji-ayaawaad onaabeman. Gii-maajaa Wally gii-aapiichishing odaabaaning, mii dash baanimaa iwapii gii-nagishkawaad Benjamin (Bunky) Fairbanks, mii dash gii-nitaawigi’aawaad Waabishkimiigwanan (Shirleyan) miinawaa Scottan Fairbanks Sr. Endaso-baakaakonigekwe gii-gichi-gete-anishinaabekwewi gii-izhicheged gakina gegoo agwajiing gii-aandakiiwang endaso-biboon. Mii gii-mazinaatesa’igaazowaad wiin miinawaa gaa-wiiji’ayaawaad ji-waabanda’iwewaad ezhi-manoominikewaad ingiweg Anishinaabeg imaa Chi-aachaabaani-ziibiing. Endasobaakaakonigekwe gii-nitaa-maziniwiigwaasike, jiimaaniked, anooji wiigwaasonaaganiked gaye weweni ji-bami’idozod. Gii-onizhishinoon gaa-ozhiitood. Gii-paataniinowag miziwekamig aanikoominodewiwinan miinawaa mayeshkwadoonigejig gaa-apiitendamowaad gaa-ozhiitood. Gegapii ogii-nagishkawaan gaa-gichi-zaagi’aad Davean Volkmann. Miziwekamig gii-pabaa-ayaawag minobimaadiziwaad biinish gii-maajaad Dave niizhing midaaswaak ashi midaaswi ashi ningodwaasobiboonagak. Iniwen waa-nagishkawigowaad imaa gaagige-minawaanigozing mii izhinikaazowaad ogosisiman Kevinan Charwood miinawa Scottan Lee Fairbanks Sr., owiidagemaaganiman Davean Volkman miish miinawaa oniigi’igoog Ernestan dash Rosean Howard Sr., naa gaye nenoondiwisijig (biibiins George), Donna, Loretta, Ernest Junior, Nellie, Eddie, Evelyn, Thomas, Pauline, and Rose. Ingiweg nenoondiwisijig giwii-gichi-miigwechiwi’igowaag gakina giinawaa gaa-naadamaweg Endasobaakaakonigekwe gii-izhi-aandakiid: shke naa ge wiijimidewiwag Giniwgiizhig idash Aanimikii Giizhigadoon, nayenzh ogii-wiidookaagowaan gii-gagwaadagitood obimaadiziwining. Medewijig Zoongikamig miinawaa Zhaawanong Binesikwe wii-maajaa-iwewag memindage gaye odinawemaagan Dorothy Robinson. Ogii-bagosenimaan gakina awiyan Endasobaakaakonigekwe endasogiizhig ji ojibwemonid. Endasobaakaakonigekwe –

Isabelle Charwood Woman Who Opens Many Doors was Isabelle Mary (Howard) Charwood’s spirit’s name she was named by a midewin couple who lived in her village of Bowstring and was very glad to tell you the story of her namesakes. She passed away at the Maplewood Hospice Care Center on March 24th 2023. Isabelle was born to Ernest & Rose Howard Sr. 04/19/1946 in Deer River, Minnesota. She grew up on the Leech Lake Nation and was a proud member of the White Earth Nation just as her mother Rose was. Isabelle was probably one of the last original born fluent speakers from the White Earth Nation; as there were fewer than 20 fluent speakers out of over 18,000+ band members at that time in 2008 when she participated in a survey which was counting Ojibwe fluency in Minnesota. Isabelle met Walter (Wally) Charwood Jr. in her early years and had two children with him, Giniwmiigwan, Golden Eagle Feather Kevin Charwood and Ginagijiin Tickley Bernard Charwood. Wally passed away in a car accident then a few years on she met Benjamin (Bunky) Fairbanks and they had WaabishkiMiigwan (Shirley) & Scott Fairbanks Sr. Isabelle was very traditional Ojibwe woman who practiced all of the seasonal traditions. She and some of her family were interviewed and featured for a documentary on Ojibwe Ricing and harvesting right on the Bowstring River. Isabelle was a birch bark artist who made birch bark canoes and every type of birch bark baskets for a living. Her work was beautiful and admired by many companies and buyers from around the world. Later on in life she finally met the love of her life Dave Volkmann they spent their years traveling the world and enjoying life until Dave passed in 2016.

Those who are there welcoming Belle into the Happy Hunting Grounds are her beloved sons Kevin Charwood & Scott Lee Fairbanks Sr., and her spouse Dave Volkmann along with her parents: Ernest & Rose Howard Sr. siblings ( baby George) , Donna, Loretta, Ernest Junior, Nellie, Eddie, Evelyn, Thomas, Pauline, and Rose. The family would like to give a huge thank you to everyone who helped Isabelle in her journey: her lodge brother Giniwgiizhig, and Aanimikii Giizhigadoon, both helped her through hard times in her life. Traditional Ojibwe services by medicine man Allen Hardy & lodge sister Patty Graves and special niece Dorothy Robinson. Endasobaakaakonigekwe wanted us to speak Ojibwe everyday

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Isabelle Mary Charwood, please visit our floral store.