Elizabeth Anderson Freebird

Gwaaganiiabiikwe (Elizabeth A. Freebird)
Wolf Clan

April 27, 1966 – June 9, 2026

With heavy hearts, we announce the passing of Gwaaganiiabiikwe, Elizabeth A. Freebird, Wolf Clan, on June 9, 2026, in Mahnomen, Minnesota. She was 60 years old.

Elizabeth was born on April 27, 1966, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Lorraine “Dolly” Boswell Lufkins and David Cook. Over the years she lived in many places, including Chicago, Illinois, where she once lived in the same apartment tower as Oprah Winfrey; Fort Myers, Florida; Arizona; Hawaii; and Los Angeles, California, where she spent much of her life raising her children and building a family of friends around her.

Most people knew her as Bird or Rainbow. She was stubborn, smart, outspoken, funny, and fiercely protective of the people she loved. She didn't always have an easy life. She made mistakes, got knocked down more than once, and kept getting back up. If she cared about you, she would fight for you, whether you wanted her to or not.

Elizabeth was a computer nerd before it was cool. She loved technology and was always chasing the newest innovations. She could often be found standing in long lines waiting for the latest computer, software release, or piece of technology so she could learn everything about it before anyone else. She understood computers when many people were still trying to figure out how to turn them on.

She worked at CRI-Help in Los Angeles, handling payroll, information technology, and whatever else needed to be done. Through her work there she met people from every walk of life, from those struggling with addiction and homelessness to entertainers, musicians, and public figures. She formed friendships with people others overlooked and never judged someone based on where they came from or what they were going through.

During her years at CRI-Help, Elizabeth crossed paths with many notable people, including Chuck Negron of Three Dog Night, who later included her name in the dedication section of his book. She also met Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and knew Danny Trejo through the recovery community. While those stories were fun to tell, what mattered most to Elizabeth was helping people find hope and healing, regardless of who they were.

Later she started her own business, Cal-DeCon, a crime scene and forensic death scene cleanup company. Elizabeth was fascinated by forensic science and the specialized work involved in restoring homes and businesses after traumatic events. Through her work she became knowledgeable in an industry that was still developing and helped others learn how to build independent businesses in the field.

She was also a fighter for families. Long before social media became what it is today, Elizabeth built online communities for parents dealing with child custody battles and family separation. She believed families belonged together whenever possible and spent years helping people navigate systems that often felt impossible. She helped complete strangers because she couldn't stand seeing people suffer when she thought she could do something about it. Some people called her a troublemaker. Others called her a hero. Some could even call her a Coyote.

Elizabeth loved to travel and rarely did things the normal way. Hawaii, especially Maui, held a special place in her heart. She talked about it often. If she wanted to go somewhere, she went. If she wanted to bring her cat along, she did that too His name was Snuffy. Once she made up her mind, there wasn't much anyone could do to change it.

One of the things she was most proud of was finding her way back to her Anishinaabe family and heritage. Elizabeth was a Mississippi Band Ojibwe woman, enrolled in the White Earth Nation and a descendant of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. She spent years digging through records, researching genealogy, asking questions, and connecting the pieces. She was proud to learn about her connections to leaders including Hole-in-the-Day, Day Dodge, Flat Mouth, Yellow Hair, and Wadena. After spending much of her life away, coming home and reconnecting with family meant everything to her in 2018. 

For many years Elizabeth battled kidney disease. She refused to quit. She researched everything she could, changed her lifestyle, challenged doctors, and fought hard for every extra day she got. That determination was just who she was.

She lived life on her own terms. Whether she was researching family history, helping someone fight for their children, learning new technology, traveling across the country, or speaking her mind, Elizabeth never followed the path others expected of her.

Elizabeth was preceded in death by her son, Julian "Jack" Freebird; her brothers, Allen Lufkins Jr. and Nick Lufkins; and many other loved ones who went before her.

Those who knew mom know her love for animals was just as strong as her love for people. We like to think that among those waiting to welcome her home were her beloved dogs, Monkey and Ted, who brought her companionship, laughter, and unconditional love throughout the years.

She is survived by her children, Raven (Matthew), River (Ivan), and Simon; her former husband; the love of her life, Simon Rios; her best friend, Eric Hawk; her grandchildren Jacob, Dominic, Matthew, Julian, Lawrence, Maddy, and Natalie; her brother Jack Hord; her sisters Kathryn Mitchell (Pete Ellis) and Carrie Farley (Boswell); her extended family; and numerous nieces and nephews including Lorraine (Gene), Nick, Sara, Sierra, Larry, Joe, Stephanie, and Aaliyah. She also leaves behind many friends, relatives, and people whose lives she touched in ways big and small.

Wake Dusk Friday Pine Point Community Building Old School

Services Saturday 06/13/2026 10am

Spiritual Advisor

Naabek Liberty

Pallbearers

Matthew Bowstring, Gene Lambson, Ivan Viveros, Pete Ellis, Avery Bowstring, Zaryn Prussia, Ian Anderson, and Larry Mitchell

Honorary Pallbearers

Nick Lufkins, Jr., Joe Mitchell, Jan Syverson, Rachel Janayah, Carol Bunker, Laurie Edwards, and Marlene Nadel

Bird's life wasn't perfect, and she wasn't perfect. She was real. She was complicated. She was stubborn as hell. She loved deeply, fought hard, and never stopped trying to help people. She spent years searching for where she belonged, and in the end, she found her way home.

To many of us, she was our Lost Bird.

She found us.

Then she came home.

Giga-waabamin minawaa, Gwaaganiiabiikwe. Until we meet again.

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