Constance Yellowtail Jackson

On a hot summer day on July 24, 1934, at the family home in Wyola’s Little Horn Valley, Susie Yellowtail delivered a healthy baby girl into the loving hands of her mother-in-law Lizzie Yellowtail.  Their youngest daughter, Tom and Susie named the baby Constance Joy, who would be called Baby Joy by her older cousins and family members.  Upon entering school, Baby Joy became known as Connie, and would use this name for the rest of her life.  Connie was given the name: Mountain Bluebird by Shoshoni Medicine Man, John Trujillo, of Fort Washakie, Wyoming.

In her early life, Connie proved herself reliable and trustworthy when she cared for the ranch during the extended periods of Tom and Susie’s international travel with the Crazy Bunch.  When Connie was 10 years old, Tom and Susie adopted newborn Thomas Ray (Glenn) Yellowtail who became their youngest son.  Connie loved and cared for TR, to the point where, as an adult, TR would say: “Bluebird, I don’t know if you’re my mother, my sister or my aunt”.  Connie attended Wyola Elementary School, where she remembers carrying books and supplies with the other children to move into the new elementary school in the center of town.  Connie went on to attend Lodge Grass High School, where she was in choir and was a member of the Kitty Kat horse riding club.

In 1950, Connie would meet and marry Clinton Small, a well-known Cheyenne saddle bronc rider, for whom she delivered a 12 lb baby boy that they named David Frell Small.  On mutual agreement, they released each other from this marriage and went their separate ways.  In 1958, Connie met Glen F. Jackson, the foreman of Matt Tschirgi’s Little Horn Ranch.  In June of 1959, Connie delivered Valerie, a curly redheaded baby girl for Glen whereupon they married in Miles City in December.  Every two years, Connie and Glen added another Jackson baby to their family: Glenn Tracy, Frank Spencer and finally broke the mold with the delivery of the baby, Lesley Jean.  Connie and Glen began their own cattle operation and continued ranching for over 20 years.  During this time, Connie and Glen helped Tom and Susie raise Duane, Jackie, Rudy, Merlin, Joey and Tommy Yellowtail, while Patricia Ann Yellowtail was adopted by Connie’s friend Barbie and was raised in Indiana, visited by Tom and Susie once a year.

After Glen’s death in 1983, Connie obtained her GED, enrolled in Eastern Montana College, then went on to the Institute of American Indian Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where she received her Bachelor’s in Museum Studies.  After her graduation, Connie returned to Wyola to aid her father Tom in the construction of his dream home -- a cabin on Pine Creek.  After Tom’s death in 1993, Connie began her volunteer work at Wyola School.  Connie loved and cared for her adopted children: all children of her friend Wanda Medicine Horse; Troylynn Shotgun of Lame Deer and Lisa Daychild, whom Connie named and took as her daughter.  Connie also had her special lads whom she held dear.  Among them, Tony Pisano, Wes, AJ & BJ Stops, Dr. Lanny Real Bird, Benji Pease, Allen Casey, Elias Not Afraid, Harrison Demontiney, Daniel Whiteman Runs Him and Augustus Whiteman Runs Him and others too numerous to name.

Connie was preceded in death by her parents, her husband: Glen Jackson; her siblings: Virjama Wyles, Bruce Yellowtail and TR Glenn, adopted brother Father Peter Powell. Survived by her children: David, Valerie, Glenn Tracy, Frank, Lesley; Jackie, Thomas, Ann Martin and adopted brother Bishop Paul Schmitz, Father Randolph, Rodney Frey; 53 Grandchildren; 151 Great Grandchildren.  Extended families include: Walking Bear, Brien, Howe, Moccasin Top, and Yarlott families;  descendants of Pierre de Chien, Bazille Claymore, George Washakie, and also the Clive Dust, Comes Up and Nellie Plays families, the Scott and Yellowtail families; Whiteman Runs Him, Medicine Crow, Takes Gun, Hogan, Toineeta, Old Horn, Old Coyote, Walks Over Ice, Wyles, Glenn, Buffalo Bulltail, Stops, Harris, Hugs, Plenty Hoops, Morin, Washakie/Trosper family of Wind River and the Left Hand family of Alberta, Canada.  If we have forgotten anyone, please forgive us – our family is large.

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