Abigail L. Bingen, Xubaari Shibishash (Black Medicine), was born August 13, 1952, in Garrison ND to Clarke Fox and Marlene Beston Fox. She was a proud member of the Flint Knife Clan and a child of Dripping Dirt.
She spent the first couple of years of her life in old Shell Creek with her parents and grandparents, George Fox and Mary Birdsbill-Fox. After the flooding of the Garrison Dam, her family moved to rural Mandaree, where many of her family still reside. She spent the next few years at the old log house until the age of six. From the age of six to seventeen, she attended various boarding schools, such as St. Josephs in Chamberland, Flandreau Indian School and Marty Misson school in SD. She would return home only in the summers to spend time with her family and extended families.
She married Levi Country and moved to Macy, Nebraska after school and from this union she had her first daughter, Michelle Country. When Michelle was a baby, they moved back home to Fort Berthold. Abigail worked various jobs. She worked for family planning in what is now the Three Tribes Museum. She was a jailor in Parshall, and a bartender at the infamous SNL. In the rough and rowdy days, she met Randall Bingen. Abigail and Randy spent 47 years together and from this union she had her second daughter Josie Bingen.
Abigail attended college at Minot State University and graduated in 1988 with a bachelor’s degree in social work. She worked for the MHA Nation under the Theodore Lone Fight III Administration and Ivan Johnson Administrations. Afterwards she was employed at the MHA Nation Daycare. Abigail loved children and spent several years as the daycare administrator. She was then employed for the MHA Nation Infant and Child program as administrator and Lutheran Family Social Services, where she retired several years later.
Abigail raised her granddaughter, Flaming Eagle (Flame Fox Hall-Lavina) since birth and loved her dearly. There is nothing she wouldn’t do for Flaming Eagle or any of her grandchildren. She made sure they were all taken care of and loved each one immensely.
Abigail loved gambling and you would often spot her at the casino until the early morning hours. She also enjoyed shopping and going out to eat. She loved going for pick-up rides with dad and she was the best bread maker. In her younger years she enjoyed horseback riding with her siblings and extended family in rural Mandaree.
She is survived by her husband Randall Bingen; her daughters, Michelle Country and Josie Bingen; her mother, Marlene Fox; siblings, Bruce Fox Sr., Beatrice Fox, and Ida Desjarlais; her grandsons, Kyle Miller, Jeffery Miller, and Jaston Howling Wolf; her granddaughters, Lavina Flame Fox Hall-Lavina and Nataya Young Wolf; and her many nieces, nephews, godchildren and great grandchildren.
She is preceded in death and rejoined with her father, Clarke Fox; grandparents, George Fox and Mary Birdsbill Fox, and Ida Bullsnake-Beston and Alex Beston; and her extended family and friends, and favorite dog Jake.