Bertha Lea Rothhammer
Obituary
Bertha Lea (Peak) Rothhammer was born January 11, 1928, in Dennis, OK, to Charles Curtis Peak & Louisa (Bushyhead) Peak and passed from this life on January 27, 2021, at the age of 93, in Broken Arrow.
Bertha Lea was raised and educated in Grove, OK. Her secondary education was at the Sequoyah Training School in Tahlequah, graduating class of 1945.
Lea married the love of her life, Chet Rothhammer, on February 29, 1956 in Claremore, Oklahoma. They lived in Tulsa with their two sons, Jerry and Chester, until 1965, when they moved to Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. They were married 42 years.
After graduation, she went to work in Tulsa at the McDonald Douglas Airplane Plant, and then was a Real Estate Agent for many years; she retired from John Bryce Realty. She was an active member of the First Presbyterian Church of Broken Arrow, and she loved her church family. She enjoyed bowling with her friends and was a part of a bowling league for years. Lea was proud of her Cherokee heritage, she was full blood Cherokee. She enjoyed researching her Ancestry as well as the Rothhammer Ancestry. Later in life, Lea loved to take you out to eat, or it was a treat for her to be taken out!! But what she most enjoyed in life was being with family. She loved being with her children, and she and Chet were crazy about their grandbabies. She also loved being with her siblings, her nieces, and nephews and with her cousins. She and Chet loved being a part of the Rothhammer and Peak family reunions. Lea loved life and embraced the entire family! Where she was, there was always laughter.
Lea and Chet spent many great years with their friends from the IGO at lake outings and different functions. They would also take many a trip in their RV with their good friends, The Partridges. Lea enjoyed fishing just as much as Chet did. After the Grandchildren came along, they had many memorable fishing trips with their grandchildren.
Bertha Lea was preceded in death by her parents, Charles Curtis Peak & Louisa (Bushyhead) Peak; her husband, Chester Eugene Rothhammer; her stepdaughter, Sandy Rothhammer; her granddaughters, Barbara Lea, Rachel, Susan, Sarah, and Ellen Rothhammer; grandson, Steve Swaggerty, and 1 great-great-grandchild, Valerie Rothhammer; also her brothers and sisters, Wynena "Nena" Montgomery, Charles Curtis Peak, Jr., Cornelia "Janet" Pasqua, Stan Waite Peak, Helen Williams and nephew Robert Peak.
While she will be missed by so many, she is survived by her sons and daughters-in-law, Gerald Rothhammer & Nancy Corn of Miami, OK, and Chester & Frances Rothhammer of Broken Arrow, OK; her stepdaughter and son-in-law, Barbara & Bob Heflin of Broken Arrow, OK; brother-in-law Clarence Pasqua; sister-in-law; Mary Sue Peak; 12 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; 14 great-great-grandchildren; and 2 great-great-great-grandchildren; Along with a host of nieces and nephews who she loved dearly.
Lea will lie in state from 10-8 p.m. Tuesday, February 2, at the Ninde Brookside Funeral Home with family receiving friends from 5-7 p.m. A funeral will be held at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, February 3 at the Ninde Brookside Funeral Home Chapel, with a graveside committal following at Oak Lawn Cemetery, Tulsa.
In lieu of flowers the family suggests donations be made to the Northeastern State University, American Indian Merit Award at:
https://securelb.imodules.com/s/1517/bp20/interior.aspx?sid=1517&gid=1&pgid=541&cid=1222
Events
Tributes & Memories
Salt of the earth generally has come to mean “an individual or group considered as representative of the best or noblest elements of society.” Chester and Lea were truly "salt of the earth". I shall always remember her kindness and great good humor and the love and attention she gave to everyone and especially to my grandmother Chester's aunt Lillie Crenshaw and my mother Chester's cousin Ethel Bright. I am thinking of all the cousins when I think of Lea. They are just good people. My mind is with them as they remember and celebrate Lea's Life.
Hugh H. Bright
My deepest condolences for your family. I know Lea was such an important part of your family and she will be missed greatly. With love, Angie O"Dea
Angie O'Dea
I will always remember her smile which she always seemed to have everytime I seen her. She always greeted you and was so welcoming to her home whether it was some of her delicious cooking, card games or just conversation. She was a Grandma to all of us kids as we grew up. I will always treasure those times .Miss you Ms. Rothhammer
Alex Warren
Lit a candle in memory of Bertha Lea Rothhammer
Angie O'Dea
Twenty years ago, when I met Lea Rothhammer, we hit it off right away. Two years later, God blessed me when I joined the family. I gained a bonus grandma—such a beautiful woman who took pride in how she looked, well dressed with pretty jewelry. She was resilient and independent and a little stubborn. LOL! I have heard almost all her stories. When we go somewhere, we also went down memory lane. She would start talking about so-in-so-lived over there, or we picked wild onions down there. She wrote cards and letters to everyone, birthday, Christmas, anniversaries, and Thank you cards. She was always willing to lend a hand. What could she do to help? Even when it was our turn to take care of her. I can hear her say, "Let's go get something good to eat." She had the best humor; she always had jokes to tell. I enjoyed it when we would go to the family reunions with her. After five minutes with her siblings and cousins, they were all laughing. They would feed off of each other, and laughter would erupt from them all. She loved her family. She was proud of her Cherokee heritage. I would hear her say I am F B I -Full Blooded Indian, then laugh. Truly a blessing to all who knew her. We will miss you fiercely, Gma. Until we meet again, We love you!
Jo Rothhammer