Chieko Church

Chieko M. Church (July 21, 1932 – Nov. 19, 2025)
Chieko Maeda Church, beloved wife, mother and friend to all, left this world in the early morning on November 19, surrounded by family in her Choctaw home. Guided by the North Star, she was positioned in proper "kita mukura," affirming a peaceful journey to the afterlife.
Born the youngest of nine children on July 21, 1932, in Kagoshima, the capital city of the southern Japanese island of Kyushu, Chieko was a restless, curious child, and her father's favorite spoiled daughter.
As a young woman, her desire to leave the island behind and start a new life was sealed when she met a tall, lanky, airman named Willis Albion Church, Jr. Al, as he was known, enlisted in the United States Air Force seeking escape from his small hometown in western Massachusetts.
Al was a quiet man with a disarmingly wicked sense of humor. A great storyteller, Al often said that when he told his mother he was being deployed to Japan, she made him promise that he wouldn't fall in love with a Japanese girl. He broke that promise after meeting Chieko, and the two got married on October 4, 1957. Soon, the couple would welcome their first son, William "Bill" (now residing in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with his wife Darla).
A decade and some years after WWII, wounds from the war were still fresh and the couple would lean on each other as they weathered stormy waters. By marrying an American, she was ostracized by her family. Al, too, faced similar scorn.
Air Force deployments led the growing family back to the states, when son Michael was born in Washington, DC. (Michael died shortly after birth). Lone daughter Diane arrived a year later (Diane lives in Edmond with her husband Chris). Meanwhile, Chieko learned to speak English and prepared to become an American citizen.
An assignment to Ramstein Air Base in Germany brought son Dennis to the growing clan (Dennis lives in Choctaw with his wife Rita). Another stop stateside at Tinker AFB led to the family's introduction to Central Oklahoma. After Dennis was born, the doctors told Chieko that she couldn't bear any more children, so it was a surprise when Jerry arrived before Christmas 1965 (Jerry lives in Oklahoma City). A classified mission to Vietnam took Al away for 18 months. Living with four kids in Midwest City, Chieko had to learn how to drive and survive. After Al came home, the family was fully intact and headed to Japan for another adventure.
Back in the states, and a short stint at Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio, Al retired from the Air Force after 20 years of service. Retiring meant finally forging roots, and the family settled in Oklahoma City. Low cost of living, friendly people, four seasons and a clean slate awaited them in Oklahoma.
With a permanent foothold, Chieko got her first job outside of the home. She became a cook at Don's Alley Restaurant, where she put her own twist on making chicken fried steaks and biscuits and gravy. From there, she took her culinary skills and served as the first cook on the flightline at Tinker Air Force Base. When she retired, she finally put to rest decades of early mornings and busy lunchtimes.
Retirement provided a gateway for self-growth. Chieko took piano lessons, pottery and ceramics classes, and despite being raised on an island, she learned to swim for the first time in her life.
Al died in March 2013, and his passing was devastating. But she would not sit around in mourning. She took solace by exploring avenues of creativity and discovery. She became a voracious reader. Reading kept her mind sharp and promoted her inquisitiveness and curiosity. She would start off most conversations with "I have a question "
She took up painting and created her own style, mixing bright colors and bold strokes on any thing she saw that influenced her. She also rescued three small dogs and they would serve as models for her canvases and keep her company in Al's absence.
The Church family wants to thank all her friends, extended family, and neighbors who offered support over her 93 years. We were truly blessed to have her in our lives and will miss her wonderful sense of humor, her loud laughter and warm heart.
Surviving family includes Kelly Jackson (Austin, Texas) and Geena Jackson (Edmond), Shana Kau (Wichita Falls, Texas), her sons Kanoa and Kaleo Kau, Kylie Armstrong Baker, her husband Michael, daughters Paetyn Armstrong and Adyson Baker (Choctaw) and Casey Armstrong and his daughter, Katie Jo of Danville, KY
Please join us as we honor the life of Chieko M. Church at a remembrance ceremony on December 1, at 10 a.m. at Barnes-Friederich & Pope Funeral home, 305 S. Sooner Road.