Sarah Joan Shortman-Buckman

Sarah Joan Shortman – Buckman, age 41, left our lives peacefully on Saturday, July 3, 2021 at St. Joseph Medical Center in Polson, Montana. She was born on December 23, 1979 at Fort Belknap Hospital in Harlem, Montana to Glen and Jolene (Shortman) Buckman.

Our Sarah began her life in her family’s hometown of Hays, Montana. She was a beautiful child with big button eyes, full of curiosity and wonder. Her favorite childhood playmates were her own siblings, Michelle, Christina, Jonas, and Joni. Their love, laughter, and bond with each other, continued with the closeness, as friends, into their adulthood.

Sarah was a mischievous child, which made her the ringleader, getting herself and her playmates into childhood predicaments. Still, as a handful herself, she was a blessing and could put a smile on anyone’s face. Even at a young age, she began to show her big caring, loving heart that still beat the same way into her maturing years. That kind heart will be remembered by all that knew her.

At the age of 5, Sarah and her family moved to Polson, Montana where she began her schooling. She made many friends from among her classmates and her sibling’s friends and kept her best ones within her heart and into adulthood. As her sisters and brother agreed and laughed about, their sister Sarah knew more people, friends because she was loved and they were feared.

Sarah loved playing baseball, as she played on Polson’s local boys teams for part of her younger years. When she had to begin playing on girls softball teams later, she complained they “played like girls.” And when her son Braydon began baseball, he was known as “Homerun Williams," Sarah couldn’t have been prouder. She remained his number one fan, attending his games, with her proud mother smile. Like the love she had for her children, it was her very own. When she looked at them, it was with her own true mother love.

During her middle school and high school years, she loved to sing in the choirs. Her high school choir director, Mr. Bumgarner, he became her mentor and friend. She had the highest respect for Mr. B., which she said taught her to love music, singing and being her comfort person.

Sarah was a member of the Gros – Ventre Tribe of the Fort Belknap Reservation. She loved to visit her hometown of Hays, visit family and enjoy the Mission Canyon by being brave enough to cross the narrow Natural Bridge.

Sarah is preceded in death by her sister Christina Buckman, her grandparents Martin and Vera Buckman, Joseph and Birdie Mae Shortman, great-grandparents Robert and Margaret Morin, numerous relatives and her own dear friends.

She is survived by her parents Glen Buckman and Jolene Shortman, her siblings, Michelle, Jonas and Joni Buckman, her beautiful children, Braydon and Darian Williams, and Nathan, Zion and Cambrey Bird; her aunt loved nephews, nieces and special loved uncles, aunts and her many loved cousins.

Our Sarah will be greatly missed by family and friends and we will keep her spirit and beautiful memory with each and everyone of us, in our hearts always. Rest in peace our Sarah...

A Celebration of Life service for Sarah will be held on Friday, July 16, 2021 at 2:00 P.M. at The Lake Funeral Home.