Arlene (Backbone) Fitch

Arlene Fitch, 72, passed away peacefully at her home in Hardin, MT on the morning of February 20, 2025. She was born on August 30, 1952, in Crow Agency, MT to Frank and Pearl (Deernose) Backbone. 

She grew up in the Crow Agency area, attending schools in Crow Agency and Hardin and graduating from Flandreau Indian School in South Dakota. While in Flandreau, Arlene excelled in academics and was a devoted cheerleader all four years of high school alongside her sisters, Nadine and Donna. Arlene was baptized at the Crow Baptist Church where she was a devotee member, making sure she made every effort to attend Sunday church service and church activities. 

Arlene married Robert Fitch on May 28, 1975, in Sheridan, Wyoming. Robert later joined the army, and while serving the military, she accompanied him living in Georgia, Virginia, Kansas, and West Germany. In addition to being a devoted housewife and raising their two kids, Arlene did an array of jobs, such as wild-land firefighting, housekeeping for hotels, and clerking for the Crow Head Start. 

Arlene enjoyed playing softball alongside her sisters Nadine, Donna, Calley, and Noreen first with the Richardson/Small softball team and later with the Crow All-Americans where they traveled around the region playing in various tournaments. When not playing softball, Arlene enjoyed playing pool becoming a pool shark. She enjoyed trips out to the mountains with Robert, Roberta, and Michael, and later with her grandchildren for hunting and fishing trips often taking charge of preparing the meals. 

While her daughter, Roberta, was following in her footsteps fighting fires and attending college she helped to raise her older children, LouVon, Summer, Millie, and Baby A. She was an avid game-show watcher and a finisher of her word-find puzzle books. She enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren and her son Michael who was her partner in crime, always taking her on daily drives around town.   

Arlene is preceded in death by her parents, sons Michael and Baby Robert Frank Fitch, brothers Frank Backbone, Jr. and Alonzo Ten Bear; sisters Francine (Dave) Camden, Noreen, Darlene, and Donna Backbone; nephews Donnie, Stephan LaForge, Byron Dawes, Jr., Jacob Big Hair, Jr., Ellsworth “Peanut” Ten Bear; nieces Donita LaForge, Felicia Dawes, Lauren “Tuffy” Backbone and Carol Arreguin.  

Survivors include her husband of 50 years, Robert, daughter Roberta Fitch Other Medicine; grandchildren LouVon (Nathan) Doll, Summer and Millie Tapedo, Arlene Kaline, Cactus, Ashleigh, Riley, Toby Other Medicine, Paetin Stops, and Keianna Cachora; great-grandson Venorium Plante; sisters Nadine (Dean) Dawes, Calley and Haroldine Backbone, Kathrine (Benito) Morrison, Patricia Maxwell, Lavina Passes, Ardith (Clifford) BirdinGround, Vicky Hogan, Jennifer Onion, Sharolyn (Chester) Nomee, Frances, Clara and Lauri Alden, Jocelyn (Clarence) Three Irons, Anita (Dana) Old Coyote, and Sheila (Gerald) Martin; brothers Shawn (Dyann), William (Pamela), Harold (Debbie) and Elton Backbone, Marvin Falls Down, Marlon (Debbie) Passes and Dr. Dave (Kristin) Mark; sister-in-laws Alberta (Marvin) Wall, Nancy Sleeper, Phyliss (Lynn) Slayman and Ruth Phillips; brother-in-laws Keith Reece, Richard and Myron Fitch and Steve (Sherlene) Thompson; nephews Davin (Lacey) Camden, Clay, Gary and Sheldon (Shelly) Dawes, Jordan (Amber) and Dan (Valerie) Brien, Larin, Kellen (Nika) and Baby Shawn Backbone, Phillip Beckman, Gary and Bentley Ten Bear, Orville (Lynette) St. Claire, Kidd (Rose) Morrison, David (Glenda), Jon (Teri) and Joe (Ticka) Maxwell, Dee, Victor (Barbara), Brendon and Lloyd Passes, Bobbi (Lupita) and Dennis Gress, Ramon Rios, Duane and David Swank, RJ (Cristy) Fitch and Ricard Sleeper. Nieces- Jackie (Larry) Blacksmith, Dr. Nicole (Ken) Gore, Jaychelle Ten Bear, Michelle Big Hair, Tysha (Lonnie) Manzanares, Pearl (Wayne) Onion, Cindy (Chris) Blacksmith, Kitty and Hayley Backbone, Lori Swank, Sunshine (Rocco) Cooper, Carolyn (Joseph) Dawes, Ruby (Dan) Zier, Kitty (Eugene) Deernose Fox, StellJo (Boots), Rochelle Passes, Jackie Morsette, Cammie Gress, Shannon (Dale) Pitsch, Denise Swank, Myra Medicine Horse, Dezery and Charlene Sleeper. The matriarch of our family is her aunt Margo Real Bird. 

Extended families include Bear Below, Old Crow, Left Hand, Blood Man, Medicine Tail, Deernose, Real Bird, Moccasin, Not Afraid, Jefferson, Bird, Pretty on Top, Walks, Buffalo, Knows Gun, Sees the Ground, from North Dakota the Packineau, Hall, Defenders, Fredericks, and Charging families. 

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