Zona Suminski

Zona Atetewuthtakewa Red Elk Suminski was born to Frank and Maud (Homovich) Atetewuthtakewa Red Elk in the Kiowa Indian Hospital in Lawton, OK on February 21, 1930 and departed this life in Lawton, OK on September 18, 2009 at the age of 79 years, 6 months and 28 days. Zona grew up in the rural area of Walters, OK, attending school at Soldier Valley School and graduating from Walters High School in 1948. She married Richard Suminski on February 9, 1950 in Wichita Falls, TX and to this union came two children, Sonja Marie Suminski Atetewuthtakewa Westbrook and Richard Frank Suminski. As a family they moved many places including Georgia, Texas, Florida, Maryland and Illinois with the US Air Force, but after Richard's retirement, Lawton, OK became their home. Zona was a homemaker until the children went to school then she went to work for the Ft. Sill Indian School for 14 years until the School's closing. She then went to Oklahoma State University to become a Nutrition Education Assistant, where she earned many awards for faithful service to the communities of Cotton and Comanche Counties. Nearing retirement she became a historian aide for the Comanche Indian Museum, where she helped establish an award winning museum and was after for her knowledge of the Comanche Culture and Numu heritage. She was the historian for and a member of the Comanche Indian Veteran's Association (CIVA) for many years. She was preceded in death by her husband, Richard Suminski, a daughter; Sonja Marie Suminski Atetewuthtakewa Westbrook, parents; Frank and Maud (Homovich) Atetewuthtakewa Red Elk, grandmothers; Wook Kah Nah and Kosepeah, grandfathers; Homovich and Kiowa George Atetewuthtakewa, siblings; Frances Marie Atetewuthtakewa Red Elk Codynah Nelson and Roderick Atetewuthtakewa Red Elk, nephews; Roderick Atetewuthtakewa Red Elk, Dixon Atetewuthtakewa Red Elk, Michael Atetewuthtakewa Red Elk and Ronald Franklin "Butch" Nelson and nieces; Doris Janell Codynah Nelson Thames and Delita Marie Nelson. Survivors include a son; Richard Frank Suminski, a sister and brother in law; Carmelita Delphine Atetewuthtakewa Red Elk Thomas and husband George of North Logan, UT, two brothers and sisters in law; Ronald Franklin Atetewuthtakewa Red Elk and wife Frances of Anadarko, OK and Gene Elliott Atetewuthtakewa Red Elk and wife Marilyn of Walters, OK, four grandchildren; William Frank Suminski, Chad Stephen Suminski, Marissa Westbrook and Zachary Rush Westbrook, three great-grandchildren; Colby Houston Crane, Lexi Mae Smith, and Jacob Crane, a nephew, Kenneth Gene Nelson of Henderson, NV, many other nieces and nephews and relatives and friends.