LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON
A memorial service to honour the life of Minnie Letcher, chief of the Liidlii Kue First Nation since 2013, will be held on Nov. 15 at the Fort Simpson Recreation Centre.

Liidlii Kue First Nation Chief Minnie Letcher, left, died on Nov. 6 in Edmonton after contracting bacterial meningitis. - NNSL file photo

Letcher, 64, died in an Edmonton hospital on Nov. 6 after contracting bacterial meningitis, said her son, Loyal Letcher.

The region has been mourning the sudden and shocking loss of Letcher, a passionate advocate for health and education.

"Her impact in the community will be felt for a long time," said village Mayor Sean Whelly. "She was a role model for others. While we've lost her, her contributions will be remembered."

Whelly, who knew her personally and from working with her as band chief, said there's been a sombre mood in the community since people learned she was ill.

"The band and the community, they've lost a strong leader who really did have the issues of her constituents at heart," Whelly said.

"Her legacy will be of education and going for gold in our lives. Being the best person that we can be, giving back to our community and our families and respecting ourselves," said Loyal's wife, Ria Letcher.

Letcher was "a very loving, caring, kind, generous woman," Ria said.

She had many family members in the community and was also known in the region after serving for years working with the local health authority.

"It impacts the whole community," said Nahendeh MLA Kevin Menicoche about the impact of Letcher's death.

He'll remember Letcher as a leader who focused on improving the well-being of her community members and was always approachable and available.

Her death makes people re-evaluate life, Menicoche said.

"A death of this significance always makes people stop and wonder about their own lives," he said.

Born in the bush of the Deh Cho region, Letcher's family moved to Fort Simpson in the 1950s, said Ria.

Letcher went east to improve her education. In the 1970s, she earned her master's degree in social work from Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia.

She did it "at a time when aboriginal women weren't really doing things like that," said her son.

He said he'll always remember how proud she was to graduate from the university.

She moved back North after graduation, putting her skills to use.

"She was so happy to be able to do that, to graduate and use her skills to help people," said Loyal.

He said she came back to Fort Simpson in the 1980s, spending about 30 years in government service.

She had recently retired from her position as the director of community programs and services for Dehcho Health and Social Services.

She saw turmoil in the Liidlii Kue First Nation and thought she could help, said her son.

In June 2012, she ran for chief, but lost.

Whelly said Letcher ran because she believed she could help her community members.

"Certainly she could have retired and focused on her own family, but she had some strengths she wanted to share and fight inequities," he said.

When a byelection was called only months after her initial loss, she was urged to run.

She was elected with 73 of the 252 votes cast on April 10, 2013, against eight other candidates.

Letcher told Deh Cho Drum at the time that her position was less about politics than about helping people.

"I believe two-thirds is your people and one-third is politics," Letcher said. "My role is really to pull the people together."

Loyal described her as a loving mother and grandmother who had an open door policy, always willing to offer support to those in need.

As chief, she was making major inroads with the band and had a lot of plans, Loyal said.

"Things were going well," he said.

One thing she wanted to achieve was to finalize the Dehcho land claims process, Menicoche said.

After falling on ice in late October, Loyal said his mother was dealing with knee and back pain. But on Oct. 31, she fell asleep and wouldn't wake up. She was flown to Yellowknife before doctors sent her south to Edmonton for treatment.

She never did wake up, he said.

"It's just a shock," Loyal said. "She had so many years ahead of her."

Meningitis, more common in children than adults, is swelling of the tissues around the brain and spinal cord.

How she contracted the infection isn't clear.

After she was taken to hospital, many of her family members were able to be with her over the last week of her life.

"The good thing is she wasn't in pain, she died peacefully with her family around her," Loyal said.

The family has heard from people across the country who knew his mother, Loyal said.

"There were so many prayers, but it wasn't enough," he said. "God wanted her."

Aside from Loyal, Letcher leaves behind a daughter, Tanya Letcher, and four grandchildren, Winona Rose, Loyal Jr., Stanley and Jacob.

The memorial service will begin at 1 p.m. on Nov. 15.

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