William Rasmus Deerinwater

William Rasmus Deerinwater, or Pepa to his grandchildren, was born on February 2, 1940 in Tahlequah, OK, the son of Samuel and Myrtle (Keener) Deerinwater. He was raised with six brothers and three sisters, Mollie, Jimmie, Leon, Cleo, Leo, Levi, Byrd, Louise and Nora. He attended Sequoyah Vocational School, Seneca Indian Boarding School and graduated from Hulbert High School and then began a lifelong work of serving the Cherokee people he loved, as the Cherokee Nation Elder Nutrition Program Cook Supervisor, working for the Nation for over 31 years. He was the proud father of three daughters and two sons, Tonya, Julie, Marissa, Joel and JJ. William was an avid Sequoyah High School Sports enthusiast, and followed the basketball, football, and anything else they did as a team. He always made himself available to do hog fries and fish fries for special occasions and holidays. If you went to his house, you were sure to get invited to a dinner of the best chicken and noodles, beans and cornbread and pineapple upside down cake you ever ate. He loved being outside, working on his yard, mowing and pulling weeds. He was proud to be Cherokee, proud of the people and their accomplishments, and spoke Cherokee to his family, in high hopes of keeping the traditions and language alive. He was the man you always knew would laugh with you, tease and joke around, he was fun to be around. His grandchildren made him happy, and he never passed up the opportunity to see them compete or play. A Baptist by faith, he attended Swimmer Baptist Church in his youth. The Lord called this strong and proud family man home from his labors on July 27th, 2021 at Colcord, OK. He was 81 years of age and will be greatly missed.

He is preceded in death by his maternal grandparents, Levi and Ann (Ketcher) Keener and his paternal grandparents, Levi and Anna (Swim) Deerinwater. He is also preceded by his mother and father, and his brothers and sisters, Mollie Deerinwater, Jimmie Dirteater, Leon Dirteater, Cleo Deerinwater, Levi Deerinwater, Leo Deerinwater, Byrd Deerinwater, Louise Leep and Nora Lowry.

Those left to cherish his life and legacy include his children, Tonya Gann of Claremore, OK, Julie Deerinwater-Anderson and husband David , Marissa Deerinwater, Joel Deerinwater all of Tahlequah, OK and JJ Deerinwater of Michigan. He will live on in his eight grandchildren, eight great grandchildren, as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins, Cherokee Nation family, and a host of friends and loved ones too numerous to mention.

Funeral services for William Rasmus Deerinwater will be held on Friday, July 30th, 2021 at 10:00 AM at Reed-Culver Funeral home with Pastor Sam Keener officiating. Pallbearers for William include Paul Walker, Daniel Deerinwater, Ryan Walker, Rhett Walker, Dale Roland and Thomas Roland. His honorary pallbearers include Sam McLemore, David Anderson, and Steve Cole. The family will receive visitors on Thursday, July 29th, 2021 from 1:00 PM until 7:00 PM at Reed-Culver. William will be laid to rest at Swimmer Cemetery in Hulbert, OK. Online condolences for his family may be left at www.reedculver.com.