Thomas Antiste, 89

Thomas Raymond Antiste, age 89 of Big Arm, passed away Aug. 13, 2025.

He was born in St. Ignatius on Dec. 9, 1935. He was chosen as a newborn by Joe and Mary Antiste of Elmo.

He had a sister, Annie, and through her marriage, got to travel to South Carolina and work on an Army base, Camp Lejeune. As he left the base to return home, the MPs hauled him back to the base, thinking he was AWOL. He was only 16 at the time.

He said he was taken back to the base a couple more times before they finally believed him and let him go home. He enlisted in the Army Reserves at the age of 17.

His parents arranged his marriage to Susie Squeque and they married on Feb. 15, 1954. Susie was the love of his life.

Tom and Susie had eight children together and were married until Susie’s passing on Dec. 18, 2020.

Tom enjoyed many different careers in his lifetime. He worked as a sawyer and sawmill worker, in road construction and Tribal Forestry and as a heavy equipment operator/excavator. Tom was legendary for his operating skills with the excavator. Any time you go into the mountains and see a tire or bicycle high up in a tree, you know Tom worked that area. Tom retired at the age of 71.

Tom was a man of few words unless you knew how to tell a good story and he would join in with stories of his own. He could be a pretty good prankster, with a great laugh if you were lucky.

He enjoyed camping, picking huckleberries, playing stickgame and traveling. He took us on trips all over New Mexico, Texas and Utah. He also loved spending time at his sweat lodge with loved ones.

Tom was preceded in death by his parents, Joe and Mary Antiste, sister Annie Antiste, beloved wife Susie, great-grandson Dashane Hewankorn, grandson Shade Birdrattler, son-in-law Louie Charlo, biological sisters Tina Matt and Geraldine Butler and his biological brothers, Joe and John Butler.

Tom is survived by his children, Dacia (Mickey) Fisher, Tony Grant, Raymond (Sharon) Antiste, Cindy Charlo, Pam (Carlie) Antiste, Bonnie (Jerry) Hewankorn, Joe (Tracey) Antiste, Mary Antiste and K’la (Abe) Birdrattler; grandchildren Francesca (Art) Taimanao, Marlene (Kenny) Bullchild, Lacey Crawford, Randy Grant, Celeste (Mario) Hewankorn, TJ (Davida) Hewankorn, Ashley Hewankorn, Charlene Hewankorn, Patrick Jefferies, Christina Antiste, Jennifer Antiste, Raven (Qwinsee-lah) Antiste, CJ Plant, Kolten Antiste, Aneena Antiste, Carissa Thiel, Charis Tanner, Trea (Jessica) Paulite, Kellen (Rosy) Paulite, Kaleb Birdrattler and Sonny Birdrattler; and many, many great- and great-great grandchildren.

A wake began on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025, at 2 p.m., rosary was Friday, Aug. 15 at 8 p.m., and a funeral service was held on Saturday, Aug. 16, at 10 a.m. at Elmo Hall. Burial was at Elmo Cemetery.

Arrangements are under the care of The Lake Funeral Home and Crematory.