January 2012
Obituaries
Kathy Joyce Tasso Funeral for Kathy Joyce Tasso, 34, Geronimo, was Nov. 28, at the Comanche Nation Funeral Home Chapel in Lawton, Okla. with Pastor Steve Mallow, Emmanuel Baptist Church, officiating. Tasso went to be with the Lord on Nov. 24 from a Lawton hospital. Prayer service was Nov. 27 at the Comanche Nation Funeral Home Chapel with Pastor Jerry Simmons and Pastor Tommy Johnson officiating. Burial was at Highland Cemetery under direction of Comanche Nation Funeral Home. Tasso was born on Sept. 3, 1977 in Lawton, the beloved daughter of Saadia Tasso and James M. Johnson, Jr. and stepmother, Redbird Johnson. She attended schools at Geronimo and also Cache Public Schools. She also attended Great Plains Vo-tech, studying Auto Mechanics. She is the special beloved daughter of Betty Simmons and Don Atkinson and a special sister to Quinn Simmons and Chad Simmons. She was baptized at Bible Baptist Church in Lawton. Tasso loved being with family and all her friends, especially Regin Watts and Victoria Toahty.
Tasso was a member of the Comanche Nation of Oklahoma. She is survived by children: Antonio Tasso, Keenan Roubideaux and Melody Roubideaux. Her parents and special parents: Step dad, Rick Kelly; sisters: Angel and Rikki Thompson of Cache, Sonia Whitewolf of Apache; special brothers: Chad Simmons of Geronimo and Quinn Simmons of Lawton; stepbrother: Donnie Zimmerman of Apache; special nieces and nephews: Chantel Simmons, Shelly Simmons and Andy Simmons; adopted brother: Speedy D and Lisa Pohawpatchoko; her grandparents: James and Geraldine Johnson, Sr. of Okema and Waylon Samis of Cache; uncles: Bob Tenequer, Nathanial Woommavoyah, Weldon Simmons, Robert Tasso, Waynie Tahpay and Randy Johnson; aunts: Barbara Patterson, Pauline Koweno, Bonita Paddyaker, Marie Eckiwaudah, Debbie Teeters, Wayla Wauqua, Lena “Jeanie” Johnson, Kendrith Johnson and Johnna Tahpay. Tasso was preceded in death by her grandparents: Ruth and Elton Simmons; grandmother: Beatrice Samis and Lisa Youngman Tahpay and one uncle: Eddie Johnson.
Richard James Wahkinney Funeral for Richard James Wahkinney, 61, longtime Norman resident was Dec. 11, at the Comanche Nation Funeral Home Chapel with Pastor Nancy Dacci, Abundant
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Life Church of Lawton, Officiating. Wahkinney was called home on Dec. 8, from a Norman Hospital. Prayer service was Dec. 9, at the funeral home chapel. Burial was at Elgin Memorial Cemetery under direction of Comanche Nation Funeral Home. Wahkinney entered this life on Jun. 9, 1950 in Lawton, the son of Collins and Winifred Lodes Wahkinney. He grew up in Lawton, Bartlesville and Norman and graduated from Norman High School. On Sept. 9, 1988, he married the love of his life, the former Eunice McCollum in Norman and they made their home in Norman. Wahkinney attended Oklahoma University and Moore-Norman Vo-tech. He received many certificates nation wide in computer training and radar technology as he worked for the National Severe Storms Lab. He was the greatgreat grandson of Chief Quanah Parker and was a member of the Comanche Nation of Oklahoma and the Comanche Little Ponies. He enjoyed fishing, artwork, building things, his motorcycles, learning his Comanche Culture and heritage and most of all, enjoyed watching his grandchildren at play, attending pow-wows and gourd dancing. He leaves to cherish his memories his wife of 23 years: Eunice Wahkinney; his mother: Winifred Wahkinney of Norman; two granddaughters: Ariel and Aliyah, both of Norman; three sisters and brothers-in-law: Patricia and Bruce Valley and Colline and Steve Keely, all of Norman and Elizabeth and Alonso Portillo of Oklahoma City; one brother and sister-in-law: Michael and Becky Wahkinney, all of Norman; as well as many nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, brother and sisters-in-law, sisters and brothers-in-laws, cousins
Dear TCNN Letters to the Editor
Dear TCNN, Recently, I was nominated by Comanche Nation Enterprise, Inc. (CONEI), to serve as an outside board member; the nomination subsequently approved by the Comanche Nation Business Committee. The Comanche Nation’s decision to create a federally-chartered, for-profit business enterprise, with a primarily goal of pursuing federal contracting opportunities, is a wise and prudent business decision. This decision has the potential of generating on-going revenue streams for the Nation for many years. This decision was based on the knowledge that many tribes in the lower 48 states, and almost all Alaskan Native Corporations (ANC), have long since made similar visionary business decisions. Accordingly, the Comanche Nation and the established CONEI entity, inherently, meet all the federal criteria to create the wholly-owned tribal enterprise named Comanche Nation Construction, Inc. (CNC). Ac-
cordingly, CNC secured U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) 8(a) Business Development designation and immediately jumped in the federal construction market. To date, this effort has met with amazing results, meeting and exceeding all milestones of expectation. By reason of this initial success, CONEI is continuing to research other areas of the federal business market for opportunities to create and/ or acquire business enterprises to likewise compete in the market as wholly-owned subsidiaries of CONEI with SBA 8(a) designation. Individually and collectively, the CONEI Board possesses a vision of success, not simply for the enterprise, but for the entire Comanche Nation. As prudently researched and well-written history books indicate, the Comanche people played a major role in the acquisition and development history of the southwest and western portions of the United States. This history not simply confined to military encoun-
ters, but more importantly, to the role the Comanche people played, collectively, in keeping European expansion at bay in these regions, now known as the continental United States. With the development of this and future, on-going, forprofit business ventures, the Comanche Nation is poised to once again play a major role in the continued progress and economic development of the United States. I am pleased to serve as a Board member entrusted with contributing, in a small measure, to the continued development of CONEI and the Comanche Nation. Phil Howry, Owner – PHIL HOWRY CO.
and friends. Wahkinney was preceded in death by his daughter: Ceclia Kelly; his father: Collins Wahkinney; maternal grandparents: Richard and Irene Lodes; paternal grandparents: James and Ollie Parker Wahkinney; paternal great grandparents: Baldwin and Nora Parker and Wahkinney and Nah’kee; two aunts: Gladys Wahkinney and Lenora Jean Wahkinney; one uncle: Russell Wahkinney. A memorial service is planned at a later date and time at the St. Michaels Episcopal Church in Norman.
The Comanche Nation News
from Indiahoma High School. After he graduated from high school he attended Okmulgee State Tech receiving a degree in Auto Body Repair. He was a Native American artist that loved to paint, loved to play softball with the Indian leagues in Oklahoma City and all over Oklahoma, was a very good cook, enjoyed doing handiwork and maintenance for family and friends. He enlisted in the US Navy on Oct. 10, 1974 and served until Oct. 17, 1977 where he was Honorably Discharged. He was a member of the Comanche Nation of Oklahoma and descendent of the Otoe-Missouri Tribe. He is survived by one daughter: Roxanne Burgess of Stillwell, Okla.; one son: Timothy Burgess of Stillwell, Okla.; three grandchildren; five sisters; Donzetta Ikner of Indiahoma; Marcelia Johanson and Karen Mattia of Claremore; Amelia Sipe of Shattuck; Janice Cartwright of Tulsa; two brothers: Curtis Burgess, Jr. of Cache and Fagan Morris of Musckogee; four aunts: Marquerite Parker, Rose Nauni, and Helen Cable all of Cache; Velma Kemble of Ponca City; two uncles: Pete Coffey, Jr. of Armand Burgess Ponca City and Nick Tahchawwickah of Cache; many nieces, Funeral for Armand nephews, cousins and many Burgess, 58, of Snyder was friends. Dec. 15 at Comanche Nation He is preceded in Funeral Home Chapel with death by his parents, two sisRev. Nick Tahchawwickah, ters: Roberta Rosemark and Rev. James Ikner officiating. Gayla Coulston; uncle: Allen Prayer service was Tahchawwickah; two aunts: Dec. 14 at Comanche Nation Vida Woommavoyah and SarFuneral Home Chapel. Burial ah Tahchawwickah. followed at Post Oak Cemetery under direction of Comanche Nation Funeral Home with Military Honors. Burgess died on Dec. 11 at Ayers Nursing Home in Snyder, Okla. He was born on Sept. 26, 1953 in Lawton to Curtis Burgess, Sr. and Mary Ellen Tahchawwickah Morris. He was raised in the Indiahoma and Cache are and graduated