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Lawton, Oklahoma Thursday, January 20, 2011 October 10, 1927 ~ January 18, 2011 APACHE: Funeral for Napoleon "Nipper" Ross Tiddark, 83, Apache, will be at 10 a.m. Friday at the Comanche Community Center in Apache, with Edward Eschiti officiating. Prayer service will be at 7 p.m. Thursday at Comanche Community Center, Apache. Mr. Tiddard went to his heavenly home Tuesday, January 18, 2011, in Lawton. Burial with military honors will follow at Cache Creek KCA Cemetery, west of Apache, under direction of Comanche Nation Funeral Home. Nipper was born October 10, 1927, in a tent between Cache and Indiahoma, to Gracie Wuckweah. John Pahdopony raised Nipper, and he graduated from Elgin High School. He was very good at sports especially baseball and basketball. He was also an umpire and basketball referee. Nipper's Indian name was "Numi-Tekwa-Ku- Esah" which means Talks for the People. Nipper did a lot of naming and cedar ceremonies for his Indian people. Nipper Tiddark served in three branches of the Armed Forces, the Navy from November 12, 1945, to August 21, 1946, earning the rank of seaman first class; the Army from March 19, 1948, to March 31, 1950, earning the rank of corporal; and the Air Force from 1953 to November 1955 earning the rank of airman second class. He is the only known member of the Comanche Nation to serve in three branches of the service. Mr. Tiddark served as a laundryman and clerk-typist while in the service. He also played baseball for the Fort Sill Army Post and Altus Air Force Base teams. Besides Fort Sill and Altus AFB, Mr. Tiddark served aboard the USS Yavapai off the coast of Jinsen, Korea Tsingtao, China, Okinawa, Pearl Harbor, the Panama Canal and Charleston, S.C. Naval shipyards. He also served at San Diego Naval Training Center, Fort Lee, Va.; Lackland AFB, Texas, and overseas at the Tokyo Japan Quartermaster Depot. His awards include the National Defense Service Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, the Army Occupation Medal [Japan] and the Marksman Qualification Badge w/Rifle Bar. Nipper was a proud full-blood member of the Comanche Nation of Oklahoma. He spoke his Comanche language fluently and was a singer and composer of Comanche songs. Mr. Tiddark was a member and former commander of the Comanche Indian Veterans Association. He was a lifetime MC for the Kiowa Apache Blackfeet Society, and he was a respected MC at powwows throughout Indian Country. Nipper served as MC for Quanah Parker Powwow, Comanche Homecoming, Apache Rattlesnake Festival, Comanche Nation Fair, Fort Worth Powwow and Alabama Coushatta Powwows. He was a Fancy War Dancer as a young man and in his later years he was a Gourd Dancer. Nipper served as arena director for Traders Village for 10 years. He sang the flag song for the flag raising for various organizations. He was an avid OU fan and enjoyed spending time with his family and friends. He is survived by six daughters: Patricia "Babydoll" Tiddark Apauty, and Alice "Sugar" Tahdooahnippah, both of Cache; Cheryl RedElk, of Lawton; Romelia Kassanavoid, of Cache; Karen Kopaddy, of Apache; and Bertha Tahhahwah, of Lawton; five sons: Timothy Tiddark, of Cache; and Buddy Tiddark, Barney Tiddark, Sam Tiddark and Jim Tiddark, all of Lawton; 48 grandchildren; many great-grandchildren; and several great-great-grandchildren; and a special nephew, Johnny Tiddark. He was preceded in death by his wife, Cora Soontay Tiddark; mother, Gracie Wuckweah; dad, John Pahdopony; a daughter, Nadine Kauley; a sister, Bernice Tiddark; and two brothers: Sam Pahdopony and Howard Pahdopony. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home. |
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