Victoria (Davis) Short

February 26, 1952 – January 28, 2023

The life of Victoria (Davis) Short cannot be fully expressed in words because of the amazing person she was and all of her gifts of compassion, intelligence and the love she shared so willingly in her time here. God called 'Vicky' home to be with all the angels in heaven on Saturday, January 28, 2023. For all her loved ones on earth and the ones that have been waiting for her in heaven, her spirit is now free to be with all of them. If anyone deserves to be in heaven, it is our beloved Vicky.

Born on February 26, 1952 to Eli J. Davis and Mabel (Azure) Davis of Belcourt, she was a blessing to the family from the moment she was born. Vicky was the second eldest child of Eli and Mabel and she always took the role of protector of her siblings. So many friends and relatives turned to her in their times of need and Vicky never hesitated to help any and all who came to her. Blessed with a heart of gold, compassion for others, and extremely high intelligence, Vicky had qualities that made her one of the most loved and respected individuals on the Turtle Mountain Chippewa Reservation. All her life, she radiated a positive energy that allowed her to succeed in everything she put her gifted mind to do. It was her love for family, God, and her community that spurred her to do all she did in her time on this plane of existence. Vicky first attended Roussin Day School near her home on the foothills of the Turtle Mountains. After elementary school there, she then attended and graduated from Belcourt High School in 1969 where she excelled as an honor student. She was a favorite student of many teachers because of her abilities in the classroom and how she always carried a smile on her face. Always an honor student, she was just as successful in college. Vicky attended the North Dakota School of Forestry in Bottineau where she majored in business administration. However, fate had other things in store for Vicky. She was united in marriage to Edward "Chiboy" Short on July 11, 1970. Together they had three children, Edward "Rocky" Jr., Michael and Michelle. Vicky and Chiboy both went to work to support their young family with Vicky working as the tribal secretary for the Turtle Mountain Chippewa Tribe. She also worked at Indian Health Service for a time as the executive secretary. Vicky became interested in public radio and became the program director of KEYA-FM Radio in Belcourt and eventually she became the general manager of the tribal radio station where she was respected for her leadership and work ethic. People still recall her excellent radio skills and professional on-air delivery, but it was as the station manager where she made an indelible mark on KEYA. She was a very responsible person who would work right alongside every member of her staff displaying the teamwork it takes to be successful and be a true public radio station dedicated to the community. After several successful years at the helm of KEYA, Vicky decided to go back to college, and this is where her life story gets even more amazing. She attended the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks where she majored in speech language pathology. She proved it is never too late to pursue higher education. Furthermore, even while raising her family and dealing with many challenges, she was able to attain her master's degree from UND as a Summa Cum Laude, which means she graduated "with the highest distinction" earning a GPA of 3.75 or higher. As one of the few Native American speech language pathologists in the country, Vicky was flooded with enticing high-paying job offers from all across the United States. But for Vicky, it was an easy choice to make to come home to the Turtle Mountain Chippewa people and work with the local schools and the Turtle Mountain students she cherished so much. She was the speech language pathologist for Turtle Mountain Community Schools, Dunseith Indian Day School and Ojibwa Indian School over the course of that part of her great career. After many years of working as a speech language pathologist, Vicky was forced to retire because of her health and injuries she had sustained to her back in a car accident.

For all her many professional accomplishments in life, what Vicky wanted to be most remembered for was her love for her children and family and her unwavering faith in God. Whenever the sun rises - as it did in the moments Vicky rose to heaven at the beginning of her spiritual journey, please remember how Vicky brought her own special light into the world and into our lives. While on her path in this life, Vicky touched many people in their hearts with that light and her gentle and loving ways.

Vicky is survived by her children, Edward "Rocky" Short Jr, Michael (Mary) Short, Michelle (Vernon) Azure of Belcourt and Kinga Gaspar of Hungary; brothers Logan J. Davis, Eli Lee Davis and Sheldon Davis; sister Charmaine (Davis) Johnson; grandchildren, Chelsy Malaterre, Shelby Short, Rocky Short, Ashley Short, Halle Short, Dylan Short, Aleesha Azure, Skye Azure, Tehya Azure; Great Grandchildren, Zurie Azure, Liam Short, Addison Gottbreht, Zailey Short, Michael Thomas & Ares Unabia-Azure and many nieces and nephews, along with numerous godchildren.

Victoria (Davis) Short was preceded in death by her parents, Eli J. and Mabel Davis, brother, Kenny J. Davis, grandson Michael Short Jr., grandparents Francois "Napuk" and Angelique (Turcotte) Davis, and Isadore and Rosanna (Dubois) Azure.

Casket Bearers are Edward "Rocky" Short Jr., Dylan Short, Brian Johnson Jr., John Azure, Kevin Davis & Skye Azure. Rosary led by Betty & Shelby Davis. Eucharistic Gifts by her brothers & sister.

Wake services will be held at St. Anthony's Church on Thursday, February 2 ^nd , 2023 starting at 5pm with rosary at 7pm. Funeral Mass will be Friday, February 3 ^rd , 2023 at 10am at St. Anthony's Church, Belcourt, ND. Burial will take place in St. Anthony's Catholic Cemetery, Belcourt, ND in the spring. Father Michael Slovak presiding.

Elick Funeral Home, Rolla, ND.