A Mass of
Christian Burial for Rubena "Beanie" Kokojan will be
10:00 a.m. Wednesday, July 21, 2021, at St. Gregory
the Great Catholic Church, with Father John Herrera
celebrating Beanie's life, with burial following in
Hennessey Calvary Cemetery. Deacon Tony Crispo will
officiate the Rosary, which will be 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, July 20th, at Ladusau-Evans Funeral Home.
Rubena
"Beanie" Kokojan was the ninth of ten children born
on the family farm north of Enid to Daniel and Emma
(Harms) Toews on September 14, 1935. She attended
Columbia Grade School until it was closed and
graduated from Kremlin High School.
She
married Valerian Kokojan on February 20, 1960, at
St. Frances Catholic Church. On April 12, 1961, they
were blessed with a son, Larry.
Beanie and
Val lived and worked on their farm just north of
Bison until Valerian passed away in an accident on
April 24, 1974. She was blessed with a grandson,
Lance, on March 21, 1997, who graduated from
Chisholm High School, and then from Wichita St.
University, and now lives in Kansas City, Missouri.
Beanie was known at The Commons as funny and
quick-witted, very rarely stayed in her room except
to sleep, walking all over the place most of the
day! She loved to play bingo three times a week and
always won at least two times if not three every
time they played. Doing exercises with the
preschoolers was a definite highlight in the
mornings. Grandma Beanie always had one or two of
them in her chair with her!
After
graduating from Kremlin, she was a bookkeeper for
George E. Failing & Company and Hackney Iron and
Steel, and after Val's death she was employed as
secretary to the superintendent of Waukomis Public
Schools and retired from WB Johnsons in 2000. Then
she continued employment for several years with RSVP
of Oklahoma. People will remember Beanie for her
quick wit and who brings smiles or laughs to the
people she comes in contact with.
In 2012, due to a fall at the farm, she was moved to
The Commons, where she was around people and things
to do (bingo, musical programs and exercise with
precious little pre-kindergartners, which she
loved).
Beanie was
known at The Commons AS FUNNY AND QUICK-WITTED, very
rarely stayed in her room during the day, walking
all over the place! She loved to play Bingo and
would play 3 bingo cards at a time. Usually, she
would win 3 games and looked forward to choosing
Hershey candy bars as her prizes.
Beanie was known to be a "chocoholic and not an
alcoholic" and was proud of it. She usually had at
least 2 servings of chocolate a day after her meals
whether it be Hershey bars, brownies from Jumbos, or
chocolate desserts that came with the meals! Beanie
seemed to like any and most of the meals served at
The Commons and, when she didn't, she would most
always choose a hamburger and fries.
Beanie had a strong faith in the Lord and loved to
sing hymns. Praying for God to help her through
tough times was easy for her and then believing He
would! As 4- and 5-year-olds, Beanie and Bert would
sing for the preacher when he came to the house to
visit and then would be asked to sing duets in
church!
Bert and
Beanie took piano lessons, that is for a while,
until the piano teacher told mom and dad, they were
wasting their money on Beanie, because she played by
ear and there was nothing she could teach her! She
was a wonderful pianist!
