Minita Emma Runningwater

Minita Emma (Twins) Runningwater, 68, Weatherford resident funeral services will be held 10:00 A.M., Thursday, August 20, 2015 in the Cheyenne/Arapaho Community Center in Clinton, officiated by family members. Burial will conclude in the Clinton Indian Cemetery under the direction of the Kiesau-Lee Funeral Home. A Traditional all night wake service will be held 7:00 P.M., Wednesday, August 19, 2015 in the Koinonia Indian Mennonite Church in Clinton. Minita Emma (Twins) Runningwater was born August 5, 1947 to Harvey and Mariam (Mann) Twins in Clinton, OK and passed away early Saturday, August 15, 2015 in her Weatherford, OK residence. "Voesta'a", which was her Cheyenne Indian name and means White Buffalo Woman, was raised as a young child in Clinton. She transferred to Chilocco Indian Agricultural School which operated from 1884 until 1980. It was located approximately 20 miles north of Ponca City, OK and seven miles north of Newkirk, OK, near the Kansas Border. She graduated from Chilocco in 1965 and continued her education at Haskell Indian Jr. College in Haskell, KS. She also received her Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from the University of Oklahoma. Circumstances allowed her to go on to the University of New Mexico and receive her Masters of Science degree in Nursing. She was employed with the Mescalero Indian Hospital and the Ruidoso General Hospital before entering the Commission Corps with the U.S. Navy. She then worked for Clinton Indian Health Services, Indian Health Service Headquarters in Washington, D.C., Albuquerque Service Unit, and Sells, AZ Indian Health Service Hospital and finally retired from Lawton Indian Hospital in 2007 at the rank of Colonel. She had also been a resident of Norman, OK and then settled in Weatherford. She was formerly employed with Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma as their Executive Health Director. She was married to Wyndham Runningwater in January of 1969 in Clinton and made their homes in Oklahoma and the Mescalero Apache Reservation. She was a member of the Koinonia Indian Mennonite Church, a proud member of the Cheyenne Indian Tribe and she participated in the Cheyenne Sun Dance as a Woman Pledger. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Wyndam Runningwater and three brothers, McLain Twins, Rupert Twins and Raphael Twins. She is survived by two sons, Bird Runningwater, of Los Angeles, CA and Eagle Runningwater, of Weatherford, OK. She is also survived by one granddaughter, Simone Runningwater.