Shannon "Opie" Lee Barron

Shannon "Opie" Lee Barron

July 19, 1970 ~ July 7, 2019 (age 48)

Shannon Lee “Opie” Barron, age 49, of Red Lake, Minnesota passed away unexpectedly on Sunday, July 7th, 2019. He was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota to Verna Mae (Morgan) Barron on July 19th, 1970. His mother asked Gerald Francis and Rosie Brun if they would raise her children if anything ever happened to her. Opie was adopted by Gerald and Rosie when she passed away on January 22, 1976. He and his siblings were moved to and raised on the Red Lake Indian Reservation. Opie graduated from Red Lake High School in 1987. During his high school years, he was an MVP in football and was a member of the National Honor Society.

He was an avid hunter, fisherman and trapper; he truly lived his culture. He processed his own game, stretched and tanned his own hides and donated his game to the elders in need. Opie was a very generous and kind man who loved helping others whenever he could. He was a quite the cook and enjoyed cooking for others. Opie was very artistic, loved to tell jokes, he was well known and a loved friend. He was direct, honest, fair and respectful with those around him. He loved and missed his German Shepard “Jake”.

Opie was a security guard in Warroad, MN when he met Laura Lajeunesse, his wife of 27 years. He served numerous years as a security guard for several organizations. He went on to become a wildland firefighter for many years. Opie then served as a Red Lake Police Officer for four years before becoming a Conservation Officer for the next 19 years. Opie’s presence in his community will most definitely be missed.

Family that Opie is reunited with are his mother; Verna Mae (Morgan) Barron, his father; Gerald “Butch” Brun, brothers; Peter Smith and Earl Morgan-Smith, nephew; Vincent Smith, Sr., brothers in law; Lawrence Lajeunesse, Jr.., Brian Lajeunesse Sr. and Bradley Lajeunesse.

Those he leaves behind to forever cherish his memory are his wife; Laura Barron, two daughters; Amanda (Tyrone) Barron and Drew Barron, auntie Rosie, sisters; Holly Jean Smith and Maryanne Morgan, brother; Verto Barron, sisters in law; Roxanne Desjarlait, Alice Lajeunesse, Janice (Sonny) Lajeunesse and Shelley Jourdain, brothers in law; Alan (Karen), Bruce Lajeunesse, Travis (Lea) Lajeunesse and Keith (Lisa) Lajeunesse, nieces; Brittiany Johnson, Claudette Barron, Felicia Barron, Shirell Barron, Sunni Barron and Korrie Roberts, nephew; Victor Whitehorse, his sisters and brothers in blue, many other relatives and far too many friends to mention.

An overnight wake for Opie will begin at 4:00 p.m., Wednesday, July 10th and continue until his 2:00 p.m. funeral service on Thursday, July 11th all to be held at the Red Lake Humanities Building in Red Lake, MN. Fr. George Ross and Fr. Matthew Cobb will officiate. The Red Lake Conservation and Red Lake Law Enforcement Officers will lay Opie to rest. His honorary pallbearers are adopted father Pat Pierre, Tony Infante, Justin Desjarlait, Gilbert Juarez, Vicki Juarez, Jeff Jourdain, Verto Barron, Eva Jones, Roxanne Desjarlait, Alice Lajeunesse, Keith Lajeunesse, Rosie Morgan, Holly Smith, Brittiany Johnson, Maryanne Morgan, Korrie Roberts, Celina Johnson, Ashleigh Smith, Jerald Cobenais, Brian Brown, Amanda Barron, Gerald Jourdain, Harlan Johnson, Curtis Jourdain, Sr., Mark Jourdain and Karen Jourdain. Opie will be laid to rest in the Morgan Family Burial Grounds in Red Lake, MN following his Thursday services.

Shannon’s care has been entrusted to Northern Peace Funeral Home of Walker, MN. Online condolences for the family may be left at http://www.northernpeace.com