Thelma Joyce Merie Brafford

Thelma Joyce Merie Brafford passed away peacefully Sunday, August 3, 2025 at the age of 88, in Roseville, California. She was born on March 24, 1937, on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, South Dakota. Thelma’s life was one of service, strength, and deep devotion to her family and community.

Raised on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, Thelma attended Holy Rosary Catholic School and the Oglala Community High School. She graduated high school in 1954 and pursued a lifelong commitment to healthcare and advocate of Indian tribes. In 1954, she earned a Practical Nurse Certificate in New York and later received a Dental Assistant Certificate from Minnesota State University. Her dedication to elder care led her to complete a Gerontology Certificate Program at Sacramento State University in 1981.

Thelma devoted over four decades of her life to the Indian Health Service and Indian Health Programs. As one of the first dental hygienists for the Indian Health Service, she broke new ground in providing culturally sensitive healthcare to Native communities. From 2003 to 2012, she served as Tribal Administrator for the Cortina Band of Wintun Indians at the Cortina Indian Rancheria, continuing her legacy of leadership and advocacy.

Her commitment extended beyond healthcare into athletics and youth development. A passionate sports enthusiast, Thelma loved watching her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren participate in sports, band, cheerleading, and rock climbing. She herself was an accomplished race walker who completed a marathon in Hawaii and served as a track and field official. Her contributions were recognized with an Outstanding Service Award from the Sacramento Sports Commissioner for officiating at the Olympic Trials in Sacramento in both 2000 and 2004.

Thelma’s spirituality was central to her life. A proud tribal member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, she honored traditional spiritual practices while also embracing her Catholic faith. Her belief in the power of prayer shaped her worldview and guided her actions throughout her life.

A devoted San Francisco 49ers fan and a woman whose greatest joy was spending time with her family, Thelma’s legacy lives on through the lives she touched with compassion, strength, and unwavering love.

She is survived by her four children: Harold James Brafford; Donald Brafford (Cynthia); CJ Brafford (Amerson Woodie Sr.) and Debra Winstead (Keith). Grandchildren: Amerson Woodie, Jr., Joyce Winstead, Farrah Cole (Jacob), Steven Winstead (Becky), Dakota Woodie, Nizhoni Woodie, Dustin Brafford and Sunny Whalawitsa; great-grandchildren: Harold Duke and Francis Brafford, (Brianne), Ben Brafford, Atlas Barerra, Jennifer Seymour, Melissa Seymour and Rayden Whalawitsa. Thelma is also survived by her brothers Walter Mills, Billy Mills, and Chet Mills.

Thelma now joins her beloved husband Harold in eternal rest. She was preceded in death by her grandsons Travis and Tyler; her parents Sidney (d. 1951) and Grace (d. 1947); brothers Sidney and Fredrick; sisters: Beverly, Estelle, Emma, Marjorie, Ramona, and Norma.