Minita Emma Runningwater

Funeral services for Minita Emma (Twins) Runningwater, 68, Weatherford resident, will be at 10 a.m. Thursday in the Cheyenne/Arapaho Community Center in Clinton, officiated by family members.

A traditional all-night wake service will be at 7 p.m. today (Wednesday) in the Koinonia Indian Mennonite Church east of Clinton.

Mrs. Runningwater was born Aug. 5, 1947 in Clinton, the daughter of Harvey and Mariam (Mann) Twins and died early Saturday, Aug. 15, 2015 in her Weatherford 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 approximately 20 miles north of Ponca City and seven miles north of Newkirk, near the Kansas border.

She graduated from Chilocco in 1965 and continued her education at Haskell Indian Junior College in Haskell, Kan.

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, Ariz., Indian Health Service Hospital. She retired from Lawton Indian Hospital in 2007 at the rank of colonel.

She had also been a resident of Norman before settling 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 they 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.

Preceding her in death were her parents, her husband, Wyndam Runningwater and three brothers, McLain Twins, Rupert Twins and Raphael Twins.

Survivors include two sons, Bird Runningwater, of Los Angeles, Calif. and Eagle Runningwater, of Weatherford; and one granddaughter, Simone Runningwater.

Burial will conclude in the Clinton Indian Cemetery under the direction of Kiesau-Lee Funeral Home in Clinton.