Joseph Frank Saddler, 80 years old, passed away at his home in Phoenix, AZ on August 28, 2026. A descendent of Chief Rocky Boy, he was full blooded Ojibwe and born at Hill 57 in Great Falls MT on Sept 29, 1945. He was a member of the Rocky Boy Tribe and was raised in the Parker School area. Joe was a fluent speaker of the Ojibwe language and also fluent in Cree and tried his best at English. He moved to Missoula MT with his brothers to attend school at the University of Montana, where he met the love of his life, Sheri Barber from the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribe. They were together for nearly 50 years until her passing, spending the majority of their life as long-term residents in the log home they built together on Sweetgrass lane in Evaro, Missoula, Bellingham and Pablo.
Together, he and Sheri, were active in the community fighting for native rights and supporting low-income families. They were members of the American Indian Movement and went on the Trail of Broken Treaties, advocating fiercely for change for tribes. Joe’s training was in social work and he worked for the Missoula Indian Center as a youth counselor and Missoula Indian Alcohol and Drug Services as a counselor. He then left that work and spent the remainder of his working days in construction.
Joe was one to always be making jokes and loved visiting and teasing. He especially smiled widely when one of his brothers or friends came to visit and they could talk Ojibwe or Cree and joke about old times. Joe relished when his grandchildren would come to visit, enjoying his time to spoil them. They always loved it when he’d play his guitar and harmonica or hitched the sled to his dog Makwah for the littles to ride in the winter. He spent time teaching about the old ways and shared cultural knowledge.
Joe was preceded in death by his wife Sheri; his brothers Duncan Standing Rock, Henry Standing Rock, Richard Well Off Man; his mother Ruby Crazy Boy; father Bill Saddler.
Joe is survived by his sister Ruby Well Off Man (Seattle); brother John Well Off Man (Santa Fe); children Shawn Saddler (Rocky Boy), Shane Saddler (Rocky Boy), Jeremy Saddler (Rocky Boy), Tosawi Saddler (Oklahoma), and daughters Kathy Olsen (Charlo), Roxanne Guenzler (Polson), Patricia Hibbeler (Polson) and Traci Dalton (Missoula) along with 15 Grandchildren and several Great grandchildren.
Please join the family for a dinner on Saturday, September 5, 2026 at 1PM with your rememberance of Joe.
