Grace Tsonetokoy

Grace Lone Bear Tsonetokoy was born on January 23, 1920 in her paternal grandparent's home 6 miles southeast of Carnegie. She passed away at the Carnegie Hospital in Carnegie, OK on July 30, 2013 surrounded by family, relatives, and friends who all kept vigil over her until she left this world at 5:55pm Tuesday evening. During these days of tribulation experienced by the family Rev. Gerald Haumpo and Rev. Michael Boyiddle administered Grace her final rites in her hospital room. Grace Lone Bear Tsonetokoy's paternal grandparents were "Kei-Kei-Quoot" (BIA), also known as "Khaw-keen", and "Dome-Be-Ti" (BIA) while her maternal grandparents are "Sit-Ah-Pa-Tah" (BIA) and "Au-Tau-Nah" (BIA). Her father is "Tah-Lo" (BIA), also known as "Sate-Pi-Gaw" (Lone Bear), and her mother is "To-Eme-Ty" (BIA). Grace is a great-granddaughter and a direct descendant of the renown Kiowa leader "Tau-Haw-Sin" (Dohasan) [BIA] who led the Kiowa people from 1833, "The Year the Stars Fell", to the winter of 1866 when he died. The traditional Kiowa name given to Grace at birth was "Mo-Pahdle" (BIA). This name appears in the genealogy chart in the book "Kiowa Tales" by Elsie Clews Parsons and it is shown as "Mop'al II" (Mo-paudle). This name also appears for her older sister Jeannette Lone Bear Mausape who is shown as "Mop'al I" (Mo-paudle). Three of Grace's siblings survived to have families of their own. The eldest was the late "Lula Lone Bear Ahhaitty"; the late Jeannette Lone Bear Mausape; and the late Oscar Tahlo. Grace was the last to be born to her mother To-Eme-Ty (Toe-yame-day), also known as "Qhune-Ahaw-Gyah", and her father Sate-bhi-gaw (Lone Bear), also known as "Kaudle-Khept-Tdaw". Twelve children were born to her mother and father. Eight siblings before her died in infancy. When Grace was born her parents gave to her what seemed to be an un-glorious name. To give Grace a chance to survive her parents gave her the name "Mo-paudle" which means "dirt", "sand", or "thrash". The reasoning was that even dirt and sand have a right to exist. This name must have carried God's grace with it because Grace survived into adulthood. When she became a teenager Grace received the traditional Kiowa name of her paternal grandmother Dome-bate-i which means "Runs In Front". Grace Lone Bear Tsonetokoy was an "Au-Day". When Grace was seven years old she attended Riverside Indian School. She remembers marching to her classes in formation with other Indian girls. She remembers on a spring day being picked up at school by an elderly Kiowa couple and transported on horse and wagon to her father's allotment near Carnegie. When she arrived at her home she discovered it was gone. A tornado had passed through the family homestead and destroyed everything on the property. Her mother To-Eme-Ty was killed in the storm. The storm became known as the "Great Carnegie Storm of 1928". Grace was eight years old. In 1940 Grace Lone Bear married the late Fred "Buster" Tsonetokoy and together they raised three daughters, two sons, and three granddaughters. Fred suffered a massive stroke and passed away on Christmas morning 1990. Grace was a child of God and is a member of the Cedar Creek Indian Methodist Church. As a younger woman she worked in the church. Along with elder sister Jeannette they coordinated "church fairs" for the youth and with the late Hedy Ako they produced "Christmas plays".
Grace Lone Bear Tsonetokoy was a Kiowa artist. She had been a traditional Kiowa bead-worker all her life. She developed a unique Kiowa form of beadwork which has been called the "Tsonetokoy Beadwork Style". She passed her talent and her legacy on to her daughters, granddaughters, and nieces. Due to her talent in traditional Kiowa beadwork, Grace was entered into the "Kiowa Indian Hall of Fame" in 1998 and recognized as the "Outstanding Indian of the Year" at the American Indian Exposition in 2005. In a ceremony attended by dozens of relatives and friends at the Kiowa Senior Citizens building on December 14, 2005, in Carnegie, OK, Grace Lone Bear Tsonetokoy was the recipient of a proclamation by the State of Oklahoma. Governor Brad Henry proclaimed December 14th to be "Grace Lone Bear Tsonetokoy Day". Also, during that same ceremony the Town of Carnegie, OK and mayor Wesley Taylor also proclaimed December 14th to be "Grace Lone Bear Tsonetokoy Day". During her lifetime Grace had also received several other awards and honors bestowed upon her at various pow-wows throughout the state. Grace Lone Bear Tsonetokoy became a charter member of the Kiowa War Mothers Oklahoma Chapter 18 in 1972 and years later was honored as "special guest" during the annual Kiowa War Mothers celebration at Apache, OK on May 9, 2013. There is currently a video on YouTube of Grace entitled "Kiowa War Mothers recognition of Grace Lone Bear Tsonetokoy". Grace enjoyed traveling to pow-wows in other states along with her late daughter Linda Tsonetokoy, son Ross Tsonetokoy, and granddaughter Jackie Tsonetokoy. She even competed in the Senior's Division and won 1st Place at several pow-wows the most notable being the "Schemitzun Pow-wow" in Foxwood, Connecticut in 2007. She enjoyed whenever people asked her to pray at pow-wows and at social gatherings and considered it an honor to do so. At pow-wows she enjoyed having kids, teenagers, and young adults approach her, all who called her "Grandma Grace". She was called "Grandma Khaun-keen" by the Tofpi family. She was also known as "Princess Grace" by many of her friends. Because of her artistry in the field of traditional Kiowa Beadwork her family, relatives, and friends considered Grace Lone Bear Tsonetokoy to be a "Living National Treasure".

Grace Lone Bear Tsonetokoy is preceded in death by her husband Fred "Buster" Tsonetokoy; granddaughter Leslie Dae Tsonetokoy; and daughter Linda Joyce Tsonetokoy.
She is survived by two daughters: Patricia Ruth Tsonetokoy Bointy of Anadarko, OK and Geneva Mae Tsonetokoy Walker of Carnegie, OK. She is survived by two sons: Dewey Dewayne Tsonetokoy Sr. of Carnegie, OK and Ronald Ross Tsonetokoy of Carnegie, OK. Two adopted sisters: The late Lucille Aitson and the late Margret Pipestem. Five adopted daughters: Lu Looking Glass of Albuquerque, NM; Barbera Kaudle Kaule of Lawton, OK; Martha Nell Poolaw of Norman, OK; Sandra Victors of Wichita, KS; and Amber Komahcheet of 1Toppah of Weatherford, OK. Seven granddaughters: Stephanie LaJean Bointy of Anadarko, OK; Aurora Mae Bointy Smith of Anadarko, OK; Cassandra Amber Bointy Chasenah of Cyril, OK; Catherine Joyce Walker of Fort Washakie, WY; Jacqueline Jeannette Tsonetokoy of Carnegie, OK; Leatrice Grace Tsonetokoy of Fort Cobb, OK; Laura Jean Tsonetokoy of Anadarko, OK. Five grandsons: Conrad Lee Bointy of Anadarko, OK; Dewey Benjamin Walker of Carnegie, OK; Christopher Allen Tsonetokoy of North Dakota; Dewey Dewayne Tsonetokoy Jr.; and Fredrick Scott Tsonetokoy of Anadarko, OK. Grace Lone Bear Tsonetokoy has 34 great-grandchildren and 9 great-great-grandchildren.

Her body will lie in state at the Ray & Martha's Funeral Home in Carnegie, OK who will also handle the interment. The wake services will be held at the Cedar Creek Indian Methodist Church in Carnegie, OK on August, 2, 2013 beginning at 7:00pm under the direction of Rev. Gerald Haumpo and Rev. Rudy Tartsah. The funeral services will be held at Cedar Creek Indian Methodist Church in Carnegie, OK on August 3, 2013 beginning at 11:00am with Grace's great-grandson, the Rev. Mike Svitak, to deliver the sermon. Interment will take place at the Carnegie Cemetery with Rev. Mike Svitak, Rev. Rudy Tartsah, and Rev. Gerald Haumpo officiating with a special presentation by Grace's grandson Kenneth Cozad of Phoenix, AZ.