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Laura Deer
In Memory of
Laura B
Deer (Bohanon)
1944 - 2017
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Vondel Smith Mortuary
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Obituary for Laura B Deer (Bohanon)

Laura B  Deer (Bohanon)
Wake service will be at 7PM Tuesday, July 25, 2017 and the funeral services will be at 10 AM Wednesday, July 26, 2017, both at Angie Smith United Methodist Church, Oklahoma City.


Laura was born on December 7, 1944 to Willie Gus Bohanon and Nora Jefferson at the Lawton Indian Hospital in Lawton, Oklahoma. She is survived by her two sisters, JoAnn Ward of Oklahoma City, Charline Nestell of Oklahoma City, her husband of 35+ years, Alvin Deer, Oklahoma City, her daughter Rachel Deer Escobar and husband Armando Escobar, 4 grandchildren, Makayla Knight, Ethan Guice, Sophia Deer-Escobar and Alan Sean Deer Escobar, all of Oklahoma City.
She is also survived by her 3 stepchildren, Linn Deer, Georgia Deer, and Genny Deer, all of Oklahoma City, and 15 more grandchildren, and 8 great grandchildren. Laura loved her stepchildren and grandbabies. They affectionately called her granny or Granny Lu lu.
Laura grew up living in Southeastern Oklahoma, living in various small towns, and her family moved to Oklahoma City in the 50s. She graduated from Oklahoma City Central High, Class of ‘63, and went on to college at Bacone College in Muskogee, OK and became part of the Bacone Indian Choir that toured America. She then went to Northeastern Oklahoma State in Tahlequah, OK, obtaining her Bachelors in Business Administration in 1968.
She returned to Oklahoma City where she went to work for the Oklahoma City Police Department in 1969 where she worked for 38 years retiring in 2007. Laura was well liked by the police employees, both officers and civil employees. In 2006 Laura was selected as the Oklahoma City Non-Commissioned Woman of the Year. Her award states “You are hereby commended for your strength, professionalism, loyalty and dedication to duty.”
Laura and her family joined the Mary Lee Clark Memorial United Methodist Church in the 1950s. In late 1970s the family moved their membership to Angie Smith Memorial United Methodist Church. Her husband said that moving to Angie Smith was God’s plan, for she met her husband there, they started dating in 1981 and she finally said yes to his proposals, having said no earlier, and they married at the Angie Smith Church on February 14, 1982.
With this loyal, dedicated Christian at his side, they entered the ministry in late 1982, starting a radio ministry in Anadarko, OK at KRPT called “Drumbeats of Love.” Having never worked in a radio recording studio, she worked the recording machinery flawlessly as her husband recorded a 30 minute program each week for 2 ½ years. In 1984 her husband was hired as the Treasurer for the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference and they received their first appointment at Kingfisher in 1985, and forged a lifelong friendship with the people of Kingfisher.
They went on to serve churches in Anadarko, Shawnee, El Reno, Seminole and retiring in 2012 while serving the Billy Hooton Memorial UMC in Oklahoma City. In 1996 her husband became the Executive Director for the Native American International Caucus and she traveled with him many times around the country.
Laura was preceded in death by her mother, Nora Ward and stepfather Woodrow Ward and a precious stepdaughter, Michelle Deer, who was tragically killed in 2006.. She will be buried next to her mother at the Sunnylane Cemetery in Del City, Oklahoma and will anxiously await that last trumpet sound when the dead in Christ will be reunited with her spirit and we who remain will have that great reunion and we shall be forever more.
The pallbearers will be Linn Deer, Linn Deer, Jr., Jarred Deer, Chris Smith, Anderson Ward, Jr., David Rosas and David Martinez.

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