L. Margaret Yohn

Lila Margaret (Kitchen) "Maggie" Yohn was born on October 7, 1951, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to James (Buddy) Kitchen and Lila Louise Taylor. She lived in Globe, Arizona, with her parents and little sister Karen, before the family moved back to Oklahoma. While living with her beloved Grandmother Effie Mae, Margaret attended Chouteau Elementary School until the end of 6th grade. In 1962 her mother remarried and moved the family to Tulsa. Her responsibilities as the Big Sister expanded in a wonderful way when her sister Marla and her brother Doug were welcomed to the world. She took the Big Sister role seriously, helping her siblings learn to read, ride bikes, study, roller skate, play games, and do chores. She was advisor, defender, playmate, and confidante. Her love and care for her siblings was practiced during her entire life. She had attended one year at Roosevelt Junior High. Active in the parish of Holy Family Catholic Church, where she received the Sacrament of Confirmation, Margaret was awarded scholarships to attend Holy Family School and then Bishop Kelly. Intelligent and motivated, she honored herself and her family as she graduated Bishop Kelly High School in 1969. Margaret began her career journey of service to others when at the age of 14 she was hired at the neighborhood nursing home as a dishwasher and also volunteered as candy striper. After graduating high school she held a variety of jobs, including working alongside her father at the Tulsa Yellow Cab Company as a driver and also as a dispatcher. In February 1983 she was hired in the customer service department at AVIS Budget Group Corporation. Focused and driven, she took full advantage of opportunities to learn, expand her skill sets and demonstrate her leadership abilities. Because of this and her dedication she was valued and promoted. She became the Specialty Reservation Supervisor, training and leading her team in the fast-paced and often stressful atmosphere of corporate customer service. She always practiced the company motto of "doing the right thing is the thing we do." In 2008, in recognition of her then exemplary 25 years of service, she received a beautiful Rolex watch. Her colleagues and employees admired and respected her strong work ethic, her ability to problem-solve, and her friendly and supportive attitude. She loved her work and her colleagues and was very sad when due to an injury and subsequent illness she had to retire in 2018 in her 35th year at AVIS. Margaret was devoted to her family and friends, and multiple times over the years she provided shelter, food, money, and other supports to both. Generous and compassionate, she often postponed her own dreams and desires in order to provide stability for her family. She enjoyed traveling. She was thrilled when she won a free trip to Germany and France in 1982. Other destinations she enjoyed were Oregon, Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi, Texas, New York, and Nevada. One special destination was Eureka Springs and it was there that Margaret married Richard Yohn. Margaret loved music, with a special fondness for rock and roll. She delighted in going to concerts and over the decades she managed to see just about every favorite band. As a teenager she taught herself to play folk guitar, and she sang many popular songs of the Peace movement era, songs of Dylan and the Beatles, and the Byrds. She liked strong black coffees and teas, always unsweetened. She liked her toast burned. She savored the occasional plain or strawberry margarita. Her love of homemade fudge began in childhood. Although she was a good cook, she was fond of going out for breakfast and dinner. Favorite places were the River Spirit Casino and Ruby Tuesday's for their salad bars. She became an enthusiastic supporter of tribal casinos, after a lucky $50,000 win at Creek Nation bingo in the 1990s. Her favorite casinos were River Spirit, Hard Rock, and the Osage. Over the years she assembled several collections -porcelain angels, beanie babies, souvenir shot glasses, lovingly arranged in display cabinets. As a child she had loved art, and in recent years she got into adult coloring books for fun and relaxation. Margaret was proud to be a citizen of the Osage Nation. She was happy to make her home here in Tulsa. She loved the Oklahoma prairies, sunrises and sunsets, and thunderstorms. Margaret had a droll sense of humor and folks enjoyed visiting and hanging out with her. She had a way of telling funny stories or jokes that would leave the listener in stitches! She excelled at board games and quiz shows especially Trivia Pursuit and Jeopardy. Margaret was a loving wife to husband Rick Yohn, a devoted mother to daughters Christina and Robyn, a doting grandmother to her grandchildren Tyler, Madison, and Greg, and a caring auntie to her nephews Jacob, Shaun, William, and Simon. She was in every sense, the matriarch of the family, always the one to host Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Eve & Day, and birthday celebrations and feasts. Over her lifetime, Margaret had many animal friends. There were the ponies-Iowa, Stormy, and Socks, Jack the donkey, and the horses-Boots and Comanche Chief, and several wonderful dogs including Heinz, Ellen, Tippy, Kimbo, and Sasha. In the last years of her life, Minnie, her beloved mini-dachshund, her constant companion, brought her joy, unconditional love and limitless little kisses. Minnie helped her navigate the difficult transition from being strong and ambulatory to being fragile and bedridden. Minnie adored her Maggie, and Maggie soaked up that special love. She fought against the invaders of Diabetes, Raynaud's Syndrome, CREST syndrome, Scleroderma and more. She suffered their attacks, and the problems caused by the side-effects of medicines given to treat those conditions. She was proud when she kicked the cigarettes to the curb several years earlier, and when she made dietary and other lifestyle changes to improve her health. All the time she battled these debilitating diseases, she never lost hope that she would one day be well enough return to work, that she would be healed, that God would hear her prayer intentions and through a miracle, restore her health and vigor. During the past two years of her life, Margaret shared some things remaining on her bucket list. Among these were her desire to see the Grand Canyon, and to go again to an ocean-perhaps the Pacific, or the Gulf of Mexico, or St. Simon's Island in Georgia. She longed to experience The Gathering Place. She also was planning to move to a small apartment that would be easy to maintain, and handicapped accessible throughout so she could regain some independence, a place where she and Rick and Minnie could relax and share what she called "their golden years." If you get a chance to visit the Grand Canyon or any of the places mentioned, please say a prayer for Margaret when you are there. As we all get closer to approaching the "golden years" remember that life is short, our days are numbered, so don't put off doing those things that nurture your spirit and bring joy to your life. Margaret was preceded in death by her mother and father, her maternal and paternal grandparents, aunts and uncles, her first husband William "Bill" Campbell, father of daughter Christina, brother-in-law Gary Moore and several dear friends. In the weeks before Margaret's death, her mother Louise and grandmother Effie visited her in her dreams and she took this as a sign that she would be reunited with them soon. Margaret is survived by her husband, Richard (Rick)Yohn, her daughters Christina Campbell and Robyn Godwin, sisters Karen Kitchen and Marla (Johnson) Wresche, brother Doug Johnson, brother-in-law Johann Eiwen, brother-in-law Ron Wresche, sister-in-law and dear friend Lynn Moore, son-in-law Joe Broyles, grandchildren Tyler Broyles, Madison Broyles and Greg Ingram, nephews Jacob Blalock, Shaun Blalock, William Blalock and wife Amanda Blalock, and Simon Blalock, former husband and father of Robyn, Marvin Godwin, and many other relatives and friends including her beloved lifelong friend Sharon (Beller) Andrews. Sharon notes that the two of them went from playing with Barbie dolls, to dances at Teen Town, to becoming responsible adults, starting their own families, and sharing all the highs and lows experienced in 68 years of living. The family wishes to thank Deacon BD Tidmore, Rev. Dave Carvajal and Rev. Duy Nguyen of Holy Family Cathedral for visiting Margaret in her home to administer the Sacraments of Reconciliation, Holy Communion, and Anointing of the Sick. This gave her deep satisfaction and peace. The family also thanks Rev. Coleman of St. John's Hospital Pastoral Care who administered the Sacrament of the Last Rites, and heartfelt gratitude to St. John's nurses Becky, Julie, and Evelina for their kindness and compassion and for making it possible to speak to Margaret through Face Time and Zoom. Margaret will be buried in Memorial Park Cemetery, 5111 S. Memorial Dr, Tulsa, OK 74145 Margaret's favorite charities include the Tulsa Humane Society, St. Jude's Foundation, Wounded Warrior Project, and Catholic Charities of Eastern Oklahoma. Please consider making a small contribution in her name to honor her memory.

Tributes

L. Margaret Yohn

October 7, 1951 - June 27, 2020