Obituary for Sherman Bold Warrior

Ponca City Now - June 18, 2023 7:22 am

Dr. Sherman Bold Warrior

July 25, 1946 — June 15, 2023

Dr. Sherman Bold Warrior, Ee-Eh Mon-Thin member of the Thi-Xi-Da Clan, was born on July 25, 1946 to Sylvester Lombard Warrior and Violet Whitestar Warrior in Pawnee, Oklahoma. He passed away on Wednesday June 15, 2023. Dr. Bold Warrior was a devout follower of his Ponca spiritual beliefs, teachings, and customs. He was fluent in the Ponca language which he often used to speak to his children and grandchildren.

Sherman Bold Warrior served in the U.S. Army and was stationed in Germany during the Vietnam era at the same time as his brother Vincent Warrior, a U.S. Marine. Dr. Bold Warrior was blessed with a large family of sons, grandchildren, and great grandchildren . He built a distinguished career as a scholar of Ponca studies. He was a grant writer during his employment with the Kaw and Ponca Nations, but in later years, preferred concentrating his work on researching Ponca language, culture, and history. Indeed, he was an avid scholar who devoted his lifetime to these areas of study. He not only devoutly studied Ponca belief systems and concepts, but he lived them. Dr. Bold Warrior earned a B.A. in Science from University of Central Oklahoma, a Master of Science and later earned a PhD in Educational Curriculum from Oklahoma State University. He wrote his dissertation on high school dropouts among the Ponca people. This topic was particularly meaningful to him as he was a high school dropout himself and understood first-hand the challenges which these young people have to overcome. He not only overcame such challenges but excelled as a scholar documenting and theorizing new ways of Ponca language instruction for generations to come. He was a regular contributor to the American Philosophical Society of Philadelphia, an academic society established by Benjamin Franklin in 1743 and served as a language consultant to the Osage Nation for many years.

Most of all, he enjoyed spending time at home with his children, grandchildren, and close family. He served as a mentor for his sons, teaching history and language of Ponca songs. He enjoyed cultivating Ponca squash, corn, pecan trees, and peppers and frequented his favorite restaurant – Cobbs – where all the waitresses knew him by name. These things of life brought great joy to him and those whom he loved.

He was preceded in death by his parents, three sisters, four brothers, and sons Brandon Bold Warrior and Sylvester (Sly) Bold Warrior.

He will be remembered by his son Justin Bold Warrior and their mother, Frances Warrior; grandchildren, Sophia Bold Warrior, Delores Bold Warrior, Avrik Bold Warrior, Gracie Bold Warrior, Sherman Bold Warrior, Esther Bold Warrior, and Eileena Bold Warrior; great grandchildren, Sylvester (JB) Bold Warrior Tso, Sylas (Val) Bold Warrior Tso. He is also survived by his companion Kathleen Shea; four sisters, Charlotte Warrior, Wilma Warrior, Anita Warrior, and Manuella (Mandy) Warrior. He had many nieces and nephews that were also very close to him.

A noon meal will be held, followed by burial services Saturday June 17th, 2023 at 2pm at the Ponca Tribal Affairs Building.