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Firefighters taken back home

BARAGA – Thousands of people in many western Upper Peninsula communities lined up along highways Tuesday to show respect for two Beartown firefighters killed in a recent traffic accident when a procession carrying the bodies went through their town.

Alan John “AJ” Swartz, 25, and 23-year-old James Frederick “Jimmy” Shelifoe Jr. were killed en route to fight the Box Canyon wildfire in Utah in a Beartown firetruck with seven other members of Keweenaw Bay Indian Community’s Beartown Firefighters when the accident occurred Saturday afternoon near Minneapolis.

“Communities are lining the streets throughout Wisconsin. The Bad River tribe was lined on both sides, there was a drum at the end (and) there were jingle dancers,” said KBIC Tribal Council’s Doreen Blaker, as the procession traveled through the Bad River Indian Reservation.

“It was nice to see that everyone patiently waited for the processional for the fallen firefighters to come through,” said Greenland Township Treasurer Mary Miilu Wagner, whose husband, John, is a Greenland Township volunteer firefighter. “It ended up being much later than originally thought, but I don’t think anyone realized just how big it was going to get and the many stops along the way. Being a township official, I was receiving calls from local residents before I even headed to the township office. It was so hard to give an exact time, but in the end that didn’t matter. People waited as they wanted to show their support.

“How can people even question why we live where we do? Darn proud to be a Yooper!” Wagner said.

The tribe is thankful for all the support.

“I’d like to personally thank everyone who assisted with bringing AJ and Jimmy home,” said KBIC Tribal Police Officer Tony Loonsfoot. “All those departments that helped us get from … Minneapolis to Baraga in the manner we did was nothing short of amazing. All the people in their own communities who came out and showed their support is beyond appreciated. I’m sure no one expected the outpouring of support along the way, at least I didn’t. Everyone please share this in hopes it will make its way back through all of those communities, so they can see how much all this meant to the families of AJ and Jimmy, as well as our entire community. Thank you.”

Shelifoe leaves behind a daughter, Ciara Shelifoe of Baraga, and a fiance, Ivory Charging of Baraga, as well as both sets of grandparents, his parents and five siblings.

Traditional native services will be at 1 p.m. today at KBIC’s Zeba Hall. Burial will be in the Pinery Cemetery followed by fellowship and luncheon at the Zeba Hall.

Funeral services for Swartz will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at the KBIC Zeba Hall, with Pastor Steve Rhoades officiating. He is survived by his sons Alan J. Swartz Jr., Liam Swartz and Anthony Swartz, stepchildren Destin and Aleeha Gauthier and girlfriend Heather Gauthier, all of Baraga, and four brothers, his parents and maternal grandparents. The family will greet friends at the Zeba Hall from 11 a.m. until the time of the service. A luncheon will be held immediately following the funeral service.

KBIC is providing assistance to the all of its firefighters and their families and reportedly has collected more than $10,000 in donations to help.

The truck in the accident was accompanied by another truck carrying a second group of Beartown firefighters to work on the Box Canyon fire.

KBIC government offices will remain closed until 8 a.m Friday.

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