Carol Julia Minugh

Carol Julia Minugh, affectionately nicknamed “Duck” by family, born November 6, 1934, at the Fort Belknap Agency Hospital in Harlem, Montana, passed into the presence of her Lord on the morning of June 22, 2024, at her residence in Olympia, Washington, at the age of 89 years. She was being cared for by her children and nurses. 

As a member of the Gros Ventre Indian Tribe, Carol was proud of her native heritage, being the second youngest of 10 children to Alfred McKinley and Mary Cecelia (O’Bryan) Minugh. She grew up in an active farming and ranching community near Dodson, Montana. She moved to Hoquiam, Washington, as a junior in high school and graduated from Hoquiam High School in 1952. During high school, she worked as an usher at the 7th Street Theater in Hoquiam.

Carol married Raymond James Hart, also of Hoquiam, in August of 1952, and raised four children. After marriage, she worked briefly at Acmedore Manufacturing in Hoquiam and, while raising her family, she worked at the Tip Top and Oriole Cafes in Hoquiam, and Fred Potts Real Estate in Aberdeen. 

Carol began her advanced education in 1971 at Grays Harbor College, graduating in 1973. She then attended The Evergreen State College, where she gained her Bachelor of Liberal Arts degree. In 1975, she attended Washington State University in Pullman, Washington, and received her Master of Education Administration degree. Carol began her doctorate program in Tucson at the University of Arizona and, while there, she was granted a fellowship to attend Penn State University in 1982, where she received her Ph.D. in Education.

As a Rockefeller Fellow, Carol was an assistant to the president at Central Arizona Community College, working with the native communities there. She was employed by the National Center for Research at The Ohio State University, working with Native peoples around the United States.  After gaining her Ph.D., Carol worked for the United Tribes of All Nations, in Seattle, Washington.  Her final employment was at The Evergreen State College where for 20 years she was a Professor of Native American Studies, and founded the Reservation Based Community Determined Program (now called Native Pathways), and the Gateways for Incarcerated Youth Program. She was once the Miles Horton Chair Community Scholar in Residence at Highlander Folk School in Tennessee.

Carol will be remembered for her commitment to and involvement in helping kids’ programs and leading youth groups in Hoquiam and Aberdeen churches while her children were growing up.  She continued this life focus in serving native communities and incarcerated youth throughout her education and as a teacher. People knew her as loving, giving, determined, challenging, and passionate about serving the needs of youth and marginalized groups and individuals. She was designated “Dreamer Schemer” via the placard affixed to her office door by her Evergreen colleagues.

Carol enjoyed reading, knitting, crocheting, hiking, singing, painting, and card playing with family and friends.

Preceding Carol in death were six siblings; her husband, Raymond Hart; and her second husband, Jim Ennis. She is survived by three sisters, Donna Sitton of Billings, Montana, Florence Wells of Hoquiam, Washington, and Ceil Grieser of Frazee, Minnesota; four children, Randy Hart of Olympia, Ramona Butorac of Spanaway, Washington, Russell Hart of Westfield, Indiana, and Rae-Diane Fish of Springfield, Oregon.

A memorial service will be held on August 10, 2024, 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at The Evergreen State College Longhouse, 2800 Dogtooth Lane NW, Olympia, WA 98505.

Donations in honor of Carol may be made through The Evergreen State College’s “Carol Minugh Gateways Scholarship” at https://www.evergreen.edu/give/minugh

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