Obit: Funmaker, Anna Rae (1936 - 2013)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Funmaker, Davis, Sallaway, Garcia, Jones, Warner, Hanson, Green, Grey Owl, Bradway, Bertelson, Wolters, Corona, Frisbey, White Eagle, Thompson, Dobbs, Larock

----Source: Banner Journal (Black River Falls, Jackson Co., WI) 5/19/2013

Funmaker, Anna Rae (20 August 1936 - 16 June 2013) With Flag

Anna Rae Funmaker (Hi Co Winga), born at Tomah Indian Hospital to James “Jim” Funmaker and Nanc6y Davis Aug. 20, 1936, of Black River Falls, died peacefully at home Sunday, June 16, 2013, surrounded by her family.

Anna Rae attended grade school at the Indian Mission, eighth grade at Neillsville Indian School and later Lincoln High school in Alma Center and in Wheaton, IL. Later, she attended UW-La Crosse for one year for her teaching certificate. Then through the Indian Relocation Program in the 1950s, she left for Los Angeles where she joined the U. S. Air Force. She served in the Air Force from 1956-1959. After her service, she married Joseph J. Sallaway in Los Angeles where she raised her children.

She did volunteer work while in Los Angeles at the Indian Center in the mid 1960s and early 1970s and later worked at the American Indian Free Clinic in Compton, CA. She worked for Manpower Consortium in East L. A., then later for the Multi-Cultural Program at Cal State L. A. while she was going to school there. She obtained her Bachelor and Master Degrees in Anthropology at the California State University of Los Angeles.

Upon obtaining her master’s degree, she came back to Wisconsin and worked for UW-la Crosse, researching and collecting historical documents and photographs of the Ho-Chunk people/cultural events. She also worked in various positions within the Ho-Chunk Nation, one as a Bingo Hall manager at Ho-Chunk Casino in its early days, later as the HUD housing director, and she was the co-director for Heritage Preservation/Cultural Resources, among many other jobs for the Ho-Chunk Nation.

In her younger years, she was an avid athlete; very active in sports. She played on basketball and softball teams while in the U. S. Air Force, then later in Indian softball, basketball and bowling leagues in Los Angeles. She enjoyed doing beadwork and loved to scrub at Pow wows and raised her family, attending and dancing at Pow wows in and around Los Angeles and in Black River Falls. In her later years, she enjoyed going to the Majestic Pines Bingo Hall/Casino, traveling, researching and visiting with family and friends.

She is survived by her daughter, Rae Anna (Angel) Garcia; sons, Michael (Rhonda) Sallaway, Steven Funmaker Sallaway, and Paul Funmaker Sallaway; sisters, Joanne Jones, Joyce (Lynwood) Warner, and Bonnie (Sheldon) Hanson; half brothers and sisters, Eliza Green, James Funmaker, Jr., Kyle Funmaker, Sybil (Al) Grey Owl, Ethel Funmaker, Eloise Funmaker, Brent Funmaker and Myron Funmaker; also, Barbara Bradway, Serena Bertelson and Algie (Augie) Wolters. She is also survived by 10 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, Joshua Garcia, Christina (Cesar) Corona, Sarah (Aaron) Frisbey, John W. Garcia, Schuyler Sallaway, Ariel Garcia, Lillian White Eagle, Jayce and Jared Sallaway, and Ricky Thompson, Kadance Dobbs and Miquel Larock; and numerous relatives.

Visitation services will be held at the Buswell Funeral Home in Black River Falls Wednesday, June 19, 2013, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Thursday from 9 a.m. until the time of services at 10 a.m. Military honors will follow the funeral, and a noon meal will follow services at the Andrew Blackhawk Legion Post #129 in Black River Falls, next to the Ho-Chunk Tribal offices.