Marcellus Mitchell Chouteau II

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

Marcellus Mitchell Chouteau II passed away November 26, 2017 at age 74 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma surrounded by his family. Mitch courageously fought lymphoma for 1 1/2 years, and was an example of bravery and steadfast faith in God.

Mitch was born February 5, 1943 in Tulsa, Oklahoma to Marcellus Mitchell Chouteau and Christine Marie Chouteau with a rich Native American history with Kaw (Kanza), Creek, Cherokee, Potawatomi, and Oneida heritage. It is believed that Mitch’s great-grandfather, Forrest Chouteau, a Kaw Indian, was born on the last buffalo hunt in Oklahoma. As a leader of the Kaw tribe, Forrest Chouteau was an advocate for Native rights, traveling to Washington D.C. in early 1900’s to address Indian land rights with the federal government. Mitch’s father, Marcellus Chouteau, was the Chairman of the Kaw Nation in the 1980s. Mitch taught his children about his rich heritage and devoted most of his career to help improve the relationships between Native tribes and the U.S government. He worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs and later for the Department of Interior.

Mitch’s childhood passion was sports. He grew up playing football and baseball. His teams were the Oklahoma Sooners and the Brooklyn Dodgers. Since he was 10 years old, he never missed an OU football game. His mother even allowed him to “play hookie” one day each year to watch the World Series. In high school, he lettered in football and baseball. His senior year, he was the quarterback and captain of Tulsa’s McClain High School football team. He was an outfielder for the baseball team. Following high school, he earned a B. A. in Business Administration and Accounting from the University of Oklahoma and served in Vietnam with the U.S. Army. He was a devoted patriot and prayed for the leaders of our country daily.

Mitch was happily married to his wife Anne Marie (Moore). They met at the University of Oklahoma and married in Des Moines, Iowa, Anne’s birthplace, on November 27th, 1970. Mitch always took Anne by the hand, and they explored the world together. They were inseparable and a wonderful team.

Mitch was a very talented artisan with skills in woodworking and leather. He enjoyed exploring and hiking the mountains and canyons of New Mexico and Arizona. He was an avid reader. Some of his favorite authors were Dietrich Bonhoeffer, C.S. Lewis, Chuck Colson, Chuck Swindoll, and Eric Metaxas. We think his long love of buffaloes may have started America’s current buffalo trend, and he even nicknamed his grandsons the “Buffalo Boys.” It has to be mentioned that Mitch was a true gentleman, and looked quite dapper in a suit with a handkerchief ready when his girls shed a tear. But above all, Mitch was a Christian, a follower of Jesus Christ, and studied the Bible daily and applied its principles to his life.

Mitch is survived by his devoted wife, Anne of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; his mother Christine (Cochran) Chouteau of Ft. Gibson, Oklahoma; daughters DeAnne Foster and Christine (Christy) Walsh and sons-in-law Christopher Foster and David Walsh of Oklahoma City; 8 grandchildren: Grant Mitchell Chouteau Foster, Jessica Anne Foster, Rebecca Marie Foster, Luke Christopher Foster, Jack Colin Foster, Aidan Mitchell Walsh, Kaitlyn Annette Walsh, and Sarah Christine Walsh; brother Michael Chouteau of Gilbert, Arizona (wife, Janet, and their son, Matthew “Mike” Chouteau and his family); sister Sharon (Chouteau) Farmer of Norman, Oklahoma (her sons, Benjamin Brown and Bradley Brown); sister Lavon (Chouteau) Van Namee of Ft. Gibson, Oklahoma (husband, Brent, and her son, Kirk Kuykendall and his family); brother-in-law Thomas Moore of Conakry, Guinea, West Africa (wife, Sherry, and sons Thomas, Michael, Scott and Timothy Moore and their families); sister-in-law Sally (Moore) Shelton of Tulsa, Oklahoma (husband, Jim, and children John, Joseph, and Jennifer Elizabeth and their families); and many more extended family, whom he dearly loved.

His death is preceded by his father, Marcellus Chouteau; father-in-law Grant Moore; mother-in-law Wilma Moore; Aunt Violet (Chouteau) Stanford; and recent passings of nephew David Chouteau (son of Michael and Janet Chouteau) and Aunt Carol (Cochran) Hart. His grandparents were also a very important part of his life; he had a special relationship with each one.

The family wishes to thank our friends for the outpouring of love during this time. The family requests that from time to time you boogie to a few Elvis songs for Mitch and play “Feliz Navidad”, one of his favorites, this Christmas season.

In lieu of flowers, we know Mitch would like to have donations made to the Gulf of Guinea Mission, P.O. Box 14164, Oklahoma City, OK 73113, which was begun by Anne’s father in the early 1950s and is continued by her brother, Tom, and his wife, Sherry. The Gulf of Guinea Mission spreads God’s love to the people of Guinea, West Africa, one of the poorest countries in the world. The mission seeks to share the Word of Jesus Christ, build churches and schools, and train church pastors.