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Obituary
Deyo Indian Mission Cemetery, Comanche County, Oklahoma
Submitted by:
N. Dale Talkington
© Lawton Constitution Monday, March 29, 2014 Wahnne Cooper Clark Viewing service for Wahnne Cooper Clark, 76, Lawton, will be from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. today at Comanche Nation Funeral Home, Lawton. Graveside service will be at 11 a.m. Monday at Deyo Mission Cemetery. Traditional Comanche ceremonies were conducted at his bedside in Oklahoma City Saturday, March 22, before he passed from this earth on Monday, March 24, 2014, after an extended illness. Wahnee Clark was born Dec. 9, 1937, at Fort Sill Indian Hospital, in Lawton, to Albert Clark Sr. and Pauline Cooper Clark, both deceased. He is survived by his wife, Rosemarie Clark; his brother, Albert Clark Jr. and wife Becky, of Apache; his sister, Pat Clark Lundy and husband Bill, of Statesville, N.C. Survivors also include two children: Terri Lynn Clark, of Chickasha; and Steven Wahnne Clark and wife Barbara, of Boynton Beach Fla.; five grandchildren: Keeley Taylor with husband Jeremy, of Ninnekah; Kylee Bradford, of Cement; Kelby Bradford, of Oklahoma City; and Andrew Clark and Heather Clark, of Boynton Beach, Fla.; and four great-grandchildren: Carter Taylor, Slater Taylor, Kooper Taylor and Ryder Bradford. Mr. Clark spent his early years in Anadarko, where he graduated from high school and went on to earn a Bachalor of Arts Degree at the University of Oklahoma in 1963, and an MBA from Oklahoma City University in 1965. He was employed by Western Farmer's Electric Cooperative in Anadarko before relocating to Oklahoma City, Dallas and eventually to Monroe, Ga. In 1974, he relocated to Washington, D.C., and worked for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association until his retirement in August 2005 when he returned home to "Comanche Country" and established his residence north of Lake Lawtonka. He served on various committees for the Comanche Nation, providing assistance and guidance with business developments, and was instrumental in writing the Comanche Nation Constitution. He was a man of varied interests and was well-known as a Grand Master Chili Cook who was very proud of his winning chili. He was intensely interested in researching and writing family genealogy as well as tribal history and was very proud of his ancestry. His grandfather was Edward L. "Doc" Clark, who came to the Indian Territory in 1868 as a civilian teamster with Col. George A. Custer of the 7th US Cavalry during General Sheridan's "Winter Campaign" and was present at the Battle of the Washita. Shortly afterwards, "Doc" Clark came to the Fort Sill vicinity as the post was being established and married Waumaconie, a member of the Comanche Nation before taking up housekeeping in the old adobe house on East Cache Creek immediately southeast of Fort Sill. "Doc" Clark became well-known for his extensive knowledge of herbs and gained prominence as a medicine man while treating the Comanche people whenever there was illness. Wahnne Clark's passion in recent years focused on researching and preserving the Indian Agency Cemetery (aka- Comanche Mission Cemetery or Yellow Mission Cemetery) located on the east end of Henry Post Army Airfield on Fort Sill. Some of his ancestors were interested in that almost forgotten and unmarked cemetery which drove him relentlessly to overcome these shortcomings as a matter of honor and respect. His tireless efforts to identify and document those who were interred there and convince the U.S. Army to provide better protection from training exercises, while improving access for family descendants consumed many years of dedication and sacrifice. Due largely to his preservation and attention to detail, a Memorandum of Agreement was signed in November 2013 between the Department of Defense and The Comanche Nation in Washington, D.C. This great warrior of the Comanche Nation, who was also a proud American, will be long remembered. |
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