Cassandra Marie (Sam) Joe, age 29, a member of the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe, passed away on March 14, 2013, in Marysville, Washington.
Cassandra was born on May 20, 1983 in Toppenish, WA. She was the daughter of Harlan Sam, Jr. and Armena (Stahi) Sam.
Cassandra was raised in Sedro-Woolley, WA, attended the Public Schools in Sedro-Woolley and graduated Class of 2001 from Sedro-Woolley High School. Cassandra and her husband Steven Joe married on March 18, 2005.
Cassandra played stickgame, bingo, casino, and attended round drum powwows. She was a member of the 1910 Concrete Indian Shaker Church and Swinomish Smokehouse. Cassandra was a commercial fisherwoman and went crabbing with her grandfather and father. She loved going to the mountains to gather huckleberries. Cassandra played softball and basketball. Cassandra truly enjoyed watching her children play sports. Her children were her pride and joy.
She is survived by her husband, Steven Joe; children, Zebadiah, Collin, Armena and Helen; father, Harlan Sam, Jr.; sisters, Tamara, Irene, Sandi, Snow and Darlene; stepmother, Mary; grandparents, Harlan and Darlene Sam, Sr and Caroline Stahi; Seowen fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, Joanne Fryberg, Maddy Fryberg, Gerri Williams, Bradley Joe and Steven Joe; numerous aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her mother, Armena Sam; brother, Everett Sam; grandfather, LeeRoy Stahi; cousin, Paul Mathias; great grandfather Robert Sam; great grandmother, Katheryn Jack and great great great Uncle, Henry Lyle.
A Shaker Prayer Service will be held at the Swinomish Community Center at 7:00 PM, Sunday, March 17, 2013, followed by a Shaker Funeral Service at 10:00 AM, Monday, at the Swinomish Community Center, Joe McCoy officiating, with the burial following at the Hamilton Indian Cemetery.
Dear Cassandra,
When I read you had passed years ago, I immediately heard you’re amazingly infectious laugh in my head. I want to thank you for all the lessons you taught me. You’re Native. I’m not. When you weren’t always “nice” to me in school, I can say I feel I understood why, but know it’s deeper than that culturally, and so I’m always still just learning. I hear your happy laugh even at this moment and I hope to always hear you laugh in wind, rain, shine of the sun and rubble of the earth. I knew back in the day the other Natives didn’t always have to be “nice” to me and that was a lesson you as a Native taught me as well as other lessons. I respected you and other Natives and left it to how y’all were having a bad time of seeing me as a privileged white girl living on the land your ancestors died fighting for just for the sake of wanting to protect the land as the earth that can’t be owned… most likely feeling that I didn’t have the slightest concept of what any of it meant… which by yalls perspective I know couldn’t ever come close to understanding generations of genocide by people who looked like me, and so I am forever humbled by the grace of such a lesson. As well as to have known such a wonderful and patient person as yourself who helped me grow up knowing the truth of things often lied about in life as well as death. For in that way I will always see and know you respectfully as kind and assertive.
Til we meet again Cassandra. Thank you for your gift of echoing happiness.
Very Respectfully,
Jamie Grasso (Anderson)
Cassandra, oh my dear friend, I just keep saying this is not true, this cannot be…that you arre gone. I have known you since I was 7 years old, went to school with you and you were always so nice…unless of course someone got on your bad side then watch out! LOL…you were good to have someones back thats for sure. You were a beautiful and vibrant woman and I am so very sorry that you had to go out like this. I enjoyed seeing your pictures and talking to you on Facebook everyday. I wish I could have seen you one last time. My heart goes out to your family, your children, your husband, and all the pain they must be feeling right now. Bless your family and bless you too Cassandra and I hope your soul finds peace. Have a safe journey to the other side and know that we all will miss you terribly. Your laugh, your smile, the way your children loved you as well as everyone that knew you…the world is truly at a loss without you my friend. Love always Corrine