Paul Otis Red Eagle

Paul Otis Red Eagle started his earthly adventure on March 7th 1962. He was born to Harry Roy and Pauline Red Eagle at Claremore, Oklahoma. He grew up with his older sister Kelly, younger sister Lisa, and baby brother he called Shunka, who was 8 years younger. Paul was always outside and very much aware of bugs, birds and anything creepy crawly in nature. He had gerbils in cages, tadpoles turning into frogs and at one time tarantulas in screen cages, and later raised a pig named Pork Chop. He was all about exploring the world, when he was old enough, his boundaries expanded, and new subjects were explored. He grew up in Skiatook, OK, attended school, was a boy scout, played little league ball and was a typical kid. He became a member of the Immanuel Baptist Church, where he accepted Christ as his savior and was baptized by Reverend Paul Mitts.

He was a tall, handsome guy who played football and basketball. After graduating from high school in 1980, our neighbor Pat Brunton, who worked for Sun Oil, helped him get a job as a roustabout in Osage County where he grew to love the Oil Business. He learned all about Exploration and Production. He thrived on that knowledge and was dedicated to his job. Paul received recognition and multiple awards from Sun Oil. Later in life he had the opportunity to learn the pipeline business, and became a Journeyman with the Local 798 Pipeliner’s Union.

Paul met and married Terri Hayenga, a pretty little girl whose family had come to Hominy when her dad worked at Conner Correctional Center. He and Terri were transferred to Wakita by Sun Oil where he was involved in the operation of one of their gasoline plants. They were blessed with two beautiful daughters, Danielle and Amber. They grew up there and the Red Eagle family was very involved in that small town, the little family made life-long friends. Life was Good. As usual Paul was back to exploring the situation, and some of his friends recruited him for the Ranch Rodeo team. Danielle said, he was on the roping and wild cow milking team and I’m sure he worked hard to do his best like, anything else he worked at. Paul was also part of the Wakita Volunteer Firefighters Dept.

He was never a golfer or big fisherman, but outside was where he wanted to be. After coming back to Osage County, he explored the countryside looking for arrowheads or unusual rock formations. He could be found on a moonlit night star gazing. If you wanted to know anything about constellations or heavenly galaxies, you could just ask him and he would tell you. There was just a vast amount knowledge stored in his head.

Paul was proud to be an Osage & Cherokee man. From about age 12 and all through his life he was involved in the Osage culture. His Osage name is Oh-Tsa-She-Na-Shee which means looking for something. He was a member of the Zon-Zo-Li Committee and participated in the annual dances, following in the footsteps of his Grandpas Harry Red Eagle, Sr & Harry Red Eagle, Jr, and his father Harry Roy.

He loved to eat good food and he was very witty. He would sit down to eat and in his falsetto voice would ask “Is this Gourmet?” Meat gravy, corn soup and fry bread were his favorites. Paul loved traveling and learning about the areas he visited. Some of those favorites were Grand Canyon, the inside workings of the Hoover Dam, swimming in the ocean, traveling to Washington DC for the last celebration of the 1900s with his family, or just being on the creek bank looking for rocks or sharing something he learned on the History Channel. We will miss his “How you doin”?”

Paul is survived by his mother Pauline Red Eagle; two daughters, Danielle Ebert (Derek) and Amber Red Eagle; two grandchildren, Amre and Harrison Roy Ebert; the mother of his children, Terri Hayenga; two sisters, Kelly Dyer (Rusty) and Lisa Red Eagle; one brother, Harry Roy “Noonie” Red Eagle Jr; one niece, Katie Stewart (Jesse); two great nieces; Gracie and Callie Stewart; four aunts, Tabby Davis, Judy Wallace, Anita Red Eagle, Janet Goodfox; and many cousins. He was preceded in death by his dad, Harry Roy Red Eagle; Grandparents Harry and Willimina Red Eagle, Russell and Polly Wallace; Great grandparents Harry and Mary Red Eagle Sr, Roy and Clara Montgomery, and O.J. and Ethel Wallace.