Millard “Wild Bill” Hale Sr., 89, Mandaree, died Sunday, July 30, 2023, at his home. Millard Sr., Two Arrows/High Bear/Keep Aiming, was born on March 24, 1934, at Independence, North Dakota. He was the son of Charles Peter and Maggie (Baker) Hale.

He was raised in a loving family in the Independence community which was along the Missouri River. He attended school at Independence Day School. He was baptized a Catholic but worshipped with many church denominations. In his later years, he attended the Gospel Tabernacle at New Town. He was a member of the Chicken Clan.

As a child, he assisted his family with the farm work and ranch work. He enjoyed working with the family’s animals. He was a recreational boxer as a young child with his dad being his coach and sparring partner. He rode bareback and saddle bronc and competed in his first rodeo at Valley City at 15 years old. The same city where his great grandson, Jaiven Hale, won the state Cross Country Championship many years later. He enjoyed riding bareback but not bull riding. He said that bull riding was for his brother. Some of his rodeo buddies were Kenny Hale, Roy Bird Bear, Milton Baker, and Newton Burr to name a few. His last rodeo was on July 4-5, 1955 at Towner and Sahnish. He and Warren Chase used their horsemanship skills to participate and earn money in Wild Horse Chases and Wild Cow Milking.

He was surrounded by a loving family. He had great admiration for Evadna Baker Gillette, his favorite aunt, and Dora Goodbird Bradfield, one of his favorite grandmas. Adrian Baker was his favorite uncle. He and his dad taught him how to bulldog. They travelled all over the region competing and winning prize money.

He met the love of his life, Irene Bluestone at a basketball game at Elbowoods. After a whirlwind courtship, Judge Paige Baker Sr. performed a “shotgun marriage” on March 9, 1953. Bill and Irene had celebrated fifty years of marriage prior to her death in 2003. They had nine children, Diana, Adrian, Bill Jr., James Peter, Neal, Lorrie, Tom, Shannon, and Dustin. They lived in Los Angeles, Bluestone Village, Parshall and many years in New Town prior to moving to their ranch outside of Mandaree.

Milliard Sr. was a hard worker who modeled the importance of working hard and being a family man to his children and all of those who came into contact with him. When the Garrison Dam flooded out the Independence homestead, he participated in the relocation program. In 1954, he and Irene and several of their small children moved to Los Angeles, California for work. He worked a number of jobs while in Los Angeles. For two years he was a rivet man at North American Aircraft. Due to the nature of the relocation jobs, layoffs occurred on a regular basis. He had an ice cream truck for a time and then worked at Wilson’s Meat Packing Plant. His last job in Los Angeles was at Douglas Aircraft where he worked on passenger planes for two years. He would catch the bus to work.

In 1958, the family relocated to the Bluestone Farm/Ranch, 11 miles outside of Parshall. He helped his father and mother in-law, Tom and Margaret Bluestone with the daily jobs in operating the farm and ranch. He worked with their horses, pigs, cows, and chickens. He helped milk cows and worked in their big garden. After two years, they moved to Parshall and he went to work with Peter PKS construction. While there, he learned to use heavy equipment (loader and scraper) as they built the missile sites.

He worked at Big Horn Construction at the Minot Air Force Base where they built the runways and roads throughout the base (Johnny Rabbithead and Sam Smith, worked with him). After he got laid off, he moved to Rainbow Drive in New Town and in the early 1960’s he worked as a loader for the BIA with uncle Bernard Chase. He then worked for Olson Construction as a finish man (leveling roads) in Mandan, ND. After that job was done, he went back to the BIA and worked for the Road’s Department. In the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, he, Levi Bruce, and Matt Foolish Bear worked for the newly formed Transportation Department. They drove community members to various appointments. In the 1970s, he worked for Candy Construction with Levi Bruce. He tried to get Warren Chase to work with him but it didn’t work out and so he went and got Levi and they worked for them. In the 1980’s, he went to work for the Tribe and Delmar Rink Construction Company as a heavy equipment operator. Hee worked with Art Smith and then later trained Kelly Spotted Bear and Duke Jackson to clear roads. In 2003, he worked for the Tribe as a truck driver. During this time, he trained many workers.
He was 70 years old when he retired. He informed Fred Smith “I’m done”. He handed him his gloves and went into retirement. He will always be known throughout the construction world as an expert heavy equipment operator.

Bill Sr. lived life to its fullest. Among his favorite things included spending time with his family, traveling to watch his children and grandchildren at rodeos, athletic events, powwows, and to visit family members across the country. Millard, Irene, and their children were supportive of the Mandaree Celebration and the Little Shell Celebration. The family has served on many different celebration committees over the past forty years.

Bill Sr. is survived by his children: daughter Diana Hale; sons Bill Hale Jr. (Crystal), Neal Hale (Kim), Tom Hale (Jodi), Shannon Hale, Dustin Hale, Jay Hale (Kyonia); granddaughters and grandsons whom he raised Brandy Hale, Jess Hale, Charles Chapin (Katt), Yates White Buffalo (Stefanie); 44 grandchildren, 62 great grandchildren; 4 great-great grandchildren; sister in laws Ella Mae Baker, Phyllis Wells (Steve), many nieces and nephews; adopted children Russell Denny, Elmer Four Dance, Ernie Holds the Enemy, Victor Shivone, Mike Tveter, Scott Wilson, Eric White, Pastor Cary Enno; and special nephews Chuck Hale, Marc Bluestone Sr., Arnie Grady, and Raymond Grady.

Bill Sr. was preceded in death by his parents Charles Pete and Maggie (Baker) Hale, wife Irene, sons Adrian and James Peter, daughter Lorrie, grandchildren Billie Hollie Hale, Lisa White Bear, Oren Hill, Christian Hale, Rueben James Hale, and his Great Grandfather Willie Leggins. He was the last of his siblings who were Chancy Hale, Kenny Hawkshaw Hale, Gerald Hale, Truby Deserly, Marlene Young Bird, and Virginia Hale.

Wild Bill will be greatly missed by family and friends. He had built a lot of friendships over the years and their children and grandchildren referred to him as “Uncle”. Throughout his years of conversations from work or rodeos or travel, he would mention the following respected friends and relatives, Levi Bruce, Art Smith, Malcolm Bruce, Matt Foolish Bear, Warren Chase, Delmar Rink, Billy Baker, Virgil Eagle, Milton Baker, Kelly Spotted Bear, Fred Smith, and Bernard “Sonny” Chase. For a man who had a limited education, his work ethic and work values provided a good living for his family. He stressed the importance of education to his children and grandchildren. He is now enjoying the company of his wife, his relatives, and his friends. Wild Bill lived a wonderful life.