Charlotte Juanita Pharris

Our sweet Mother, Charlotte Pharris from Tulsa, Oklahoma, went home to be with the Lord on Sunday, October 11th, 2015 at the age of 79. She had spent the last 30 days of her life with her loving family at her side as she was greeted with love, visits, and phone calls from family and friends. Charlotte was born in Santa Ynez, California on March 30th, 1936. She was the oldest of seven sisters and was a tribal member from the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Mission Indians. Charlotte was also a graduate of Santa Ynez Valley Union High School and went to beauty college to become a hair stylist, in which she made many life-long friends in Oklahoma. She is survived by her four loving children, Michael Elizondo of Tahlequah, OK; Denise Elizondo Florence and her husband David of Sand Springs, OK; Joseph D. Pharris and his wife Diane of Tulsa, OK; Patricia M. Pharris of Mannford, Oklahoma; and daughter-in-law, Barbara Elizondo of New Braunfels, Texas. Charlotte had 17 grandchildren: Janell Elizondo, Edward Elizondo, Anthony “Tony” Elizondo, Michael Elizondo Jr., Jeffery Elizondo, Christina Florence, Sherman Florence, Cabrini Florence Shyers, John Florence, Jacinta Florence, Francesca Pharris, Scott Batchelder, Ryan Batchelder, Charles Bolen Jr., Nicholas Bolen, Jillian Bolen Hubble, and Xavier Epperson. Charlotte also has 29 great-grandchildren. Charlotte is also survived by her loving sisters, Loretta Murrillo, Mary Ellen Jackson, Mercy Weller and her husband Louis, and Mildred Meaux, all of Santa Ynez, California. Preceding her in death was her oldest son, Salvador John Elizondo, of New Braunfels, Texas; two sisters, Marcella Pino and Virginia Ochoa, both of Santa Ynez, California; and her parents, Charles G. Ochoa and Eulalia F. Ochoa, who both were Chumash tribal leaders. Charlotte will be remembered for her vibrant smile and laughter, motherly wisdom and instinct, her sense of humor. She had an enthusiasm about daily life and world events in general. Mom often said if a person is bored then they aren’t thinking. She had compassion and care for others and faith in God. She loved her family, her gardens, holidays, traveling, pottery, cake decorating, floral design and her home. She truly was the matriarch of our family and loved family gatherings. She was an active grandmother and, if needed, drove her grand kids to school, to the dentist, the doctor, and sometimes even to work. All the grand kids loved to spend the night with their Grandma. She was the rock in our family. Her love for us will be missed and she will be missed at dinners, during birthday parties, on Christmas, Thanksgiving, and on the 4th of July. We will miss her telling us to "drive home safe" and to "call when we get home", the morning phone calls, the goodnight calls and just the general phone calls to see what we were up to. She was the center of all our gatherings, we wanted to spend them with her and she wanted to spend them with us. She will be missed for all the trials and joys of life. There is comfort in knowing that on the sunny Sunday morning when the breeze kicked up and as her soul left this world that she was being greeted in Heaven to a great reunion by all those who left before her. She can rest in the promise of eternal life, joy and light now. Visitation will be Thursday, from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. and Rosary will be said at 7:00 p.m., both at Fitzgerald Ivy Chapel, 1402 South Boulder Avenue, Tulsa. Funeral Mass will be Friday, 10:00 a.m., at Holy Family Cathedral, 8th and South Boulder Avenue, Tulsa. Interment will follow at Calvary Cemetery, Tulsa. FITZGERALD IVY CHAPEL 918-585-1151

Charlotte Juanita Pharris

March 30, 1936 - October 11, 2015