Juanita Lovilla Brown Royka

Juanita Lovilla Brown Royka enrolled in the “course of life" in El Dorado, Oklahoma on June 5, 1928, and "graduated" with honors on January 29, 2013 in Midwest City Oklahoma. Juanita was blessed with a long journey, and along the way, she loved a helluva lot of people. She loved life. She gave life. She was life.

In 1947, Juanita married Charles J. Royka, an Air Force NCO and paterfamilias of many generations. He was the love of her life. In him, God answered her orphan's prayer and blessed them with nine children.

Charles, graduated “life" on May 4, 1973, after nearly twenty-six years of collaborating with Juanita in the creation, provision, protection, and education of those nine. She loved her nine. Juanita was an Air Force wife, a Roman Catholic, and above all, a Mother.

She was called many things, in a life truly rich in all that matters, but her favorite title, her most cherished appellation, was the word that always delighted her: "Grandma". To have a grandbaby on her lap could only be improved by another joining alongside.

Juanita had her flaws. It's just that being loving, forgiving, and an unrelenting learner, weren't among them.

She had a temper and the best way to discover her inner "Mama Grizzly" was to wrong any of her children, their children or her loved ones.

Juanita was kind to misfits, to the needy, and they were mostly kind to her. Misfits by the score. Misfits, beautiful and plain. In her eyes, everyone in the world was a misfit, in one way or another.

She loved dolls. Her fondness for them was a product of a trying childhood, and for at least thirty years, she held a "Grandma Doll Party” every Christmas. Her homemade creations, the grandkids' creations, and her inadvertent "Frankenstein” Sock Dolls, delighted forever but generally lasted but a moment.

She wrote poetry, scribbling long past the days when her eyes were much help to her penmanship. Writing story-poems about blessed misfits . Writing about her nine. Writing about her grand and great-grandkids.

Here’s an excerpt from a poem she wrote:

“Give to me a corner of heaven/

Place in there a rocking chair/

Give to me the lost and lonely misfits/

Place them all in my care.”

Juanita is preceded in death by her husband, Charles, her siblings, sons Michael and Henry, and granddaughter, Ruthanne. She is survived her children, Robbye Keeton, Leslye "Gigi" Cherry, Nyleen Royka, widow of Michael, Jacquelyn Jones and husband Carroll Andy, Charles “Pat” Royka, Joseph "Tony" Royka and wife Jonna, Mary Hensley and husband Timothy, and Sandy Smith, as well as nieces Lisa, Lorri and Judith Shrader. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Charles Davis, Travis Keeton, Steven Keeton, Shelley Caldwell, Christopher Cherry, Lynda Cherry Blair, Jason Cherry, Laura Jones Lehne, Phillip Jones, Christina Jones Alvarez, Jared Royka, Heather Royka, Charles P. Royka, Jr., Henry John Royka, Joshua Royka, John Michael Rogers, Thomas Hensley, Karly Hensley, Peter Hensley, Richard Northrip, James Northrip, Melissa Northrip Jones and Rachel Northrip, and those grandchildren's loving spouses. Juanita is also survived by her beloved great-grandchildren and great-great grandchildren.

She will be missed by all. We love you Mom!