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On Aug. 4, 2018, I lost my precious husband of 45 years. Midnite passed by natural means of a heart attack. He left behind me, his father, our seven children, six sons-in-law, one daughter-in-law, 14 grandchildren, four great-grandsons, 52 Godchildren, two brothers, four sisters and many nieces and nephews. Many will miss him, but these people were his heart: Evelyn “Lee,” Gabe “Apache Boy,” and Delphine, Lisa and Domonic, Laura and Merle, Rhoda and Stevie, Amanda, Matthew and Richanda, Jo-El and Adrian, Nadia and Chris, JR, Cecil, Heather, June, Jamie, Danya, Christopher and Chancey, Charmayne and Hugh, Antonia and Bryan, Tyler and Evan, Jake, Liam, Iry and Chantel, Tia, Riandrow, Amarii, Nikhil, Noelani, Adam, Shelby, Dalen, Ian, Casey and Tony. Midnite loved everyone; if he had any enemies they were his, but he was not theirs.
Midnite was born in Cedar Creek, Ariz., on the White Mountain Apache Reservation, to Paul Ethelbah and Dorothy Kane on the same day, in the same month and the same year as me (he liked to remind me he was four hours older). He was adopted and raised by his grandparents, Rudolph and Laura Kane and was taught and loved beautifully by them. Midnite loved and sang and played all kinds of music, he crown danced, carved, hunted, rafted, skied, fished, went camping, traveled (both in the U.S. and foreign), he loved the outdoors, rode his Harley, he was traditional and spiritual, and worked and worked. Everyone called us mom and dad or grandma and grandpa and we felt so blessed by this honor. We love many people and many people love us; together we prayed for everyone we have met from the day we were conceived until death, and I will continue to do this.
Midnite was a fantastic husband, brother, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, friend and a Native American Music award-winning artist. As a musician, Midnite was self-taught and played 11 instruments, amazing does not even begin to pay tribute to the gifts God blessed him with. Midnite enjoyed playing music all over Native Country and throughout the U.S. for more than 50 years (he began playing when he was 8) and he was very grateful to all of you who supported “Apache Spirit” for all these years. Apache Spirit will continue as per his wishes, with both second and third generation members. He said he didn’t work that hard to make Apache Spirit what it is for nothing and he was proud that it was all family. Midnite, in his tattered clothes, except when on stage, and torn hats will always be loved.
Thank you Midnite for taking such good care of us and we thank God for blessing us with you. I hope you are all proud to have known Midnite because he felt Blessed to have known all of you on his Tour of Life. Be at peace everyone. All my love, Lee.
