On the morning of November 10, 2025, our beloved Joyce Lee Bongo was tragically taken from us at just 37 years old. Joyce was a strong Lakota woman from the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota — a proud mother of five and a loving grandmother of two. Our hearts are shattered knowing her children and grandchildren will now face life without her warmth, her laughter, and her love.

Joyce’s life was stolen by domestic violence — something no one should ever have to endure. This kind of loss doesn’t just take one person; it leaves a deep wound in everyone who loved her — her family, her friends, and her community. She is now one of our Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW), and our hearts ache that her name must be added to that list.

As a family, we’re struggling to understand how someone who was supposed to love and protect her could take her away from us. Joyce’s death is not just our family’s pain — it’s part of a much larger tragedy affecting Indigenous women everywhere. We are left holding the pieces of our broken hearts, praying for strength, and calling for justice.

We are raising funds to help her family through this unimaginable time:

To support Joyce’s children and her mother as they try to find stability and healing after this loss

To cover funeral and memorial costs, so we can honor her life with the dignity and love she deserves

To help her mother give Joyce a beautiful send-off, even as she faces this loss with limited means

Joyce was so much more than what happened to her. She was funny — a real jokester with the biggest, most contagious laugh. She loved deeply, lived fully, and always found a way to make others smile. Her life mattered.

By donating, you’re helping us care for her children, honor Joyce’s memory, and speak out against the silence surrounding domestic violence. Please share her story and help us shine a light for all the women whose voices have been taken too soon.

With love and gratitude,

The Bad Cob Family