Cooper Eugene Folsom

Cooper Eugene Folsom
March 25, 1948 - May 29, 2024
Cooper Eugene Folsom, 76, of Dallas, Tx left this world to go sing with the angels in Heaven's choir on Wednesday, May 29, 2024. He was born on March 25, 1948, to parents Cooper Jacob Folsom and Lucille (Allen) Folsom, in Talihina, Ok or as he would call it, God's country.
Growing up, his family and friends called him Eugene or Gene for short. As stories go, he was your typical ornery Choctaw boy exploring the woods and running the hills of his beloved hometown. He was the star football player for the Talihina Golden Tigers and he even had his own band doing Rolling Stones covers. After graduating from Talihina High School, he went on to study and obtain a certificate in Heating and Electric at Haskell Institute in Lawrence, KS.
When his country called on him to serve in the United States Army, he did so with great honor. He served in Vietnam as a sergeant from 1968-1969. For his bravery and heroic achievements, he was awarded three Bronze Stars. Upon his return from Vietnam, he was stationed at Fort Hood in Texas. Although his time in the military was a dark chapter for him, he learned to channel that energy into being pro-active for the well-being of his fellow veterans, primarily the Native American veteran community.
While stationed at Fort Hood, he would visit the Dallas area often and eventually met his future wife, his queen, Victoria (Vicky) Frazier and he would become her Jeep, Jeep. They got married on June 11, 1971 and went on to have three children, Robert, Jacqueline, and Kandace.
Cooper, or Coop as some might call him, was one of a kind. He was a talented singer, a good ball player, and an uplifting coach for the native youth in Dallas. He enjoyed sports, reading the newspaper, collecting books, gourd dancing, attending powwows, and coming up with ideas to celebrate and fellowship with the DFW Native community. He had a fondness for camping, watching sunrises and sunsets, and gazing at the stars. He was always jamming out to all genres of music, reciting movie lines, and making people laugh. He loved his family and friends but most of all he loved our Creator.
As a longtime member and liturgist of the Dallas Indian Mission United Methodist Church, he often led the hymns during worship services. He was never one to shy away from singing Choctaw hymns. As a matter of fact, he sang them loud and with pure passion. A proud veteran, he was a founder of the Red Path Warrior Society and organized many of the church and community wide Memorial Day and Veterans Day programs.
Cooper had many names during his life, from Gene to Jeep to Big Coop to Cootie, but his favorites were papi and grandpa. He adored each of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Smiling just at the mention of their names, wanting to buy them the moon, and being just so darn proud of them in whatever they chose to do. They inspired him more than they'll ever know.
Coop fought many health battles over the years. Despite spending much of his last year in and out of the hospital, he never lost his sense of humor or the love for his honey. Throughout his entire journey, he teased the individuals on his medical team, serenaded his Queen, and made his kids giggle with his silly comments. He had a great ability to make others smile and feel at ease. His sense of humor and smile will be missed.
The impact he had on our community will be felt for years to come. His mission in life was to ensure that every individual that crossed his path was left feeling important. He was always ready to greet you with a kind smile, warm embrace or handshake and to offer prayer.
Preceding him in peace were his parents, Cooper and Lucille; brother, Harry Dale; brother from another mother, Cecil Watson; Daughter-in-law, Renia; and grandson Robert Jr.
Cooper's loving spirit is carried on by his wife, Vicky; son, Robert Sr.; daughter Jacquie and husband Piano; daughter Kandace and significant other Adam. Granddaughter Alisha and husband Humberto; granddaughters, Cierra and Audrina. Grandson Hiloha and wife Elba; grandsons Cipriano (Beano) and Ezekiel (Blue). Great grandsons, Abraham, Adrian, and Anthony and great granddaughter, Arielle.
Visitation will be held from 2:00-7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 11, 2024, at Jeter and Son Funeral Home, 4830 W. Illinois Ave, Dallas, TX 75211.
A celebration of life is set for Wednesday, June 12, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. at Dallas Indian Mission United Methodist Church, Dallas, TX 75208; interment will follow at the Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery.