Lillian "Tooter" Marie Beeson's Obituary
Lillian “Tooter” Marie Beeson, beloved matriarch of the Beeson family and known for her childlike faith and adventurous spirit, passed peacefully from this life on February 18, 2026, at the age of 94.
Lillian was born on July 11, 1931, to Alvin Harold and Mabel Agnus (Greenfeather) Pitt. She was the fourth of twelve children and spent her early years on her father’s ranch in White Oak, Oklahoma. During the Depression, her family relocated by train to Washington State to work in the apple orchards. It was there that Lillian’s strong work ethic first took root at the young age of 13. With her exceptional skill at packing apples, she quickly earned praise and respect.
Affectionately nicknamed “Tooter” by her father - a name her husband, Sim, embraced so wholeheartedly that few ever called her Lillian - she carried that spirited identity throughout her life. Even as a young girl, she found joy in simple pleasures: dancing, roller skating, dirt biking, and swimming in the frigid waters of Lake Chelan alongside her siblings. She excelled at softball as a catcher, known for her booming voice and powerful arm that could easily throw a runner out at second base.
It was in Washington that she met the handsome Simeon “Sim” Beeson. After knowing her only three months, Sim proposed. Tooter thought he was crazy - but when she learned he had broken his leg in a car accident while out searching for her, she knew he was the one. They were married on March 20, 1954, and welcomed four children in six years. In 2014, they celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary shortly before Sim’s grand arrival in heaven.
As a young mother, Lillian worked in a bowling alley restaurant, where her cooking was so beloved that more people came to eat than to bowl. Later, she put her natural leadership and people skills to work as the manager of Safeway’s deli and bakery departments. Sim’s career with Safeway took the family across the country, and they made homes in Washington, Oklahoma, California, Virginia, and Utah.
Lillian was known for her wit, courage, and unwavering sense of justice. Once, when a grandson bullied two younger grandsons, she delivered swift “eye for an eye” justice - picking up the fully clothed culprit and tossing him straight into the pool.
Adventure was woven into her spirit. In the summer of 1972, all six members of the Beeson family traveled more than 6,400 miles in a single month on four Honda motorcycles. Years later, Sim wrote about another escapade: a cold, rainy rafting trip on the Colorado River with a grandson along for the ride. Despite the guide’s repeated instructions to stay in the raft, Lillian was the one who went overboard and to quote Sim in a letter to family, “I turned to see how she was doing and all I could see was her butt and feet straight up in the air as she splashed into the river”. She emerged with only a bruise and a story that left everyone laughing.
When their children were grown, Lillian and Sim embraced life as empty nesters, turning their home into an RV and exploring nearly all 50 states before eventually settling in Oklahoma for retirement. Lillian cherished learning about her Native American heritage and took great pride in reconnecting her siblings with their extended Native family. Revisiting childhood “stomp grounds” and searching for the family’s old home - affectionately called the “dugout” for its dirt-floor kitchen built into the side of a mountain - brought treasured memories flooding back. She often recalled how, as a five-year-old, she would wave to the train conductor each day as the trains passed by.
In her quieter moments, Lillian filled her days with the things she loved most: family and friends, a good episode of Judge Judy, strawberry milkshakes, swing and line dancing, and her faithful bowl of Special K. A devoted member of https://Life.Church, she never met a potato chip she didn’t like - even her doctors noted her fondness for them in her medical chart; and sometimes a venture to the dog park on her scooter made for the best way to spend a beautiful day.
She is lovingly remembered by her children: Debbie Pryor (Pat), Sidney Allen (Keith), Simeon Lee Beeson, Jr. (Terri), and Tim Beeson; her siblings Leatrice Williams, Jody Estes, and Joe Pitt, all of Washington State; seven grandchildren; seventeen great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren, with two more on the way; and her beloved companions, Cocoa, her 18-year-old cat, and Suzy, her 8-year-old dog, a sweet reflection of her gentle and nurturing spirit.
One of her greatest joys was answering to “Grandma Beeson.” She leaves behind a legacy of faith, grit, laughter, and fearless love - proof that a life fully lived becomes a story worth telling.
A Celebration of Life Memorial Service will be held 3:00 PM, Thursday, February 26, 2026 at Floral Haven Funeral Home Chapel, at 6500 S 129th E Avenue in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.
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