Joshua Liberty Winter

Joshua Liberty Winter was born July 18th, 1994, to complete an adventurous little family of sister, Amilia and parents Thomas "Tom" Winter and Rebecca Liberty. Joshua 'walked on' unexpectedly in his sleep in the early morning November 17th, 2023, at his home in Kansas City.

Joshua, a brother and son, grandson, nephew, cousin, friend to many, and member of the Ioway of Kansas and Nebraska, will be greatly missed. We will remember Joshua for the sweet, ornery, funny, caring and deeply empathetic person that he was.

Joshua wrote, “Success is achieved through hard work and determination. Nothing given to us feels as good as something earned.” Josh's untimely passing comes as he persevered to overcome many obstacles and as he was achieving his goals of a successful start to a culinary degree at JCCC. He worked in various restaurants, always honing his skills. Josh developed a side business, High Pies, several years ago for which he was known for his "made from scratch" pies with elaborate braid work. He had begun his first week as a pastry chef apprentice at the Loews Kansas City Hotel, a job he took great pride in. “Being helpful – the feeling I get when someone eats my baked goods, I can fill a need for them.” Joshua 2023

Joshua's efforts and hard work were recognized in an Ioway tribal manner by the achievement name he received. Guided by elders and the ancestors, his mother named him on the fourth day after passing: K^óMáñi Wáŋe - Thundering Man,

K^óMáñi Wáŋe hintáwe ki.

He is our Thundering Man.

Joshua náwe išdá nadwá náhje hédán aré^un wa^ún nahé ki.

Joshua worked with his hands, his eyes, his ears, his mouth and his heart.

Añe áre hímáñi na wagratógre nahé, wóre hinwáñi ki.

Now, he has arrived traveling along and he is together with our relatives.

Josh had such a great community of people he loved and many who loved him. He is survived by his sister, Amilia Liberty Winter, (Christopher Hybl); father, Thomas (Tom) Winter; mother, Rebecca Liberty; his grandmothers: Betty Winter and Cindy Liberty. He was preceded by his beloved grandfather, Arthur Winter, who provided enduring love to Joshua. His aunts and uncles and cousins and godmothers are recognized and appreciated for nurturing Joshua all through his life.

At this time, we still have no answers to the questions of why Joshua has left us. He had history of numerous medical conditions of high blood pressure, unexplained seizures, heart defect, chronic pain and more.

We all honor and celebrate Joshua and surely we will laugh at times because we knew and loved him. Our lives are forever changed because our Thundering Man...Joshua Liberty Winter... existed here with us.

Celebration of Life and Feast - Saturday, Nov. 25 at Unity Temple on the Plaza. In lieu of flowers, donations appreciated to the Kansas City Indian Center or The Rabbit Hole in Kansas City, Missouri.