Royce Yellow Bird, 58, Dunseith, formerly of Garrison and White Shield, died on Tuesday, December 29 at a Dunseith nursing home. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, January 2, 2015 at 11:00 am at the Ralph Wells Jr. Memorial Complex in White Shield. Wake services will be held on Friday, January 1, at 5:00 pm at the complex. Burial will be at the Congregational Cemetery in White Shield.

Royce Farrell Yellow Bird, (XAH-DAY-IT SKAH-NAH), "Horse Stands Alone", was born October 6, 1957 in Inglewood, CA to Harold and Alvina (Krueger) YellowBird. He was raised in California and attended school in Bell Gardens, CA.

In 1993 Royce was a victim of a violent crime, (road rage), in California. He suffered severe head injuries and was hospitalized for an extended period of time. After recovering to a point that he could be released from the hospital, he moved back to his native land in ND to live with his father.

Royce did not let his disabilities discourage him. He lived in a number of different places, where he was always eager to help out. He was acknowledged several different times for his volunteer work, most notably, at the Ruth Meier's Hospitality House and Stone Soup Kitchen. He gave countless hours to organizations to help those that were helping him. He was also nominated for the Golden Rule Award. The person that nominated him said, "he shines like a beacon in this storm called life!" When he wasn't volunteering his time, Royce was an avid Nascar fan, his favorite being the Viagra Car, drives by Mark Martin. He also loved classic cars and trucks, owning several over his lifetime. He was also very proud of his native heritage and customs.

Royce's last days were spent at the Dunseith Community Nursing Home in Dunseith, ND. His family is forever grateful for the wonderful care he received and was greatly loved by all that lived and worked there.

Royce is survived by his children, Kyle Kota Yellow Bird and Virginia Rose Yellow Bird; mother, Alvina Marquez, brother, Kenton (Yvonne) Yellow Bird; sisters, Lesalie (Juan) Orozco and Rhonda (Rich) Holleson; and numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his father, Harold Yellow Bird.