Rebecca "Becky" Sue "Cusari Cahiks" (Indian Princess) Eppler

Rebecca “Becky” Eppler, of Pawnee, was born March 14, 1940 to Adam and Hazel (White) Pratt, and was called home on January 18, 2026, at Stillwater Medical Center.

Becky was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 47 years, Teddy Eppler, and her daughter, Laureen Eppler. She attended Pawnee Indian Boarding School (aka Gravy U) and graduated from the Haskell Institute at Lawrence, Kansas. She earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Oklahoma State University.

She was a member of the Pawnee Indian Baptist Church and a proud member of the Skidi Band of Pawnee Nation. She served her tribe in various leadership positions, including Treasurer of the Pawnee Business Council.

Becky’s knowledge of her tribal culture did not come from a book, as she would say, and she was called on as a consultant on numerous books and projects including the Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum, the Heard Museum, both in Chicago, the University of Nebraska, the National Lewis & Clark Bicentennial Commemoration and the American Indian Integration of Baseball.

She was the proud wife, mother and grandmother of veterans and served as President of the Pawnee War Mothers. She enjoyed cooking, sewing, dances, singing, Handgames, and teasing. Becky will be remembered for her wisdom, laugh and her feisty wit, but mostly her positive outlook on life, which she attributed to her unwavering faith in Jesus Christ.

She is survived by her daughter, Lozana Eppler (Mark Collins) of Pawnee; her son, Eddy Eppler (Emilee) of Broken Arrow; brothers, Duane (Lesley) Pratt and Allen Dale Pratt, of Pawnee; sister, Eileen Sands, of Oklahoma City, eleven grandchildren and thirteen great-grandchildren.

Services will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, January 22nd at the Roam Chief Building, 810 Beck Dr., Pawnee with her nephew Bruce Pratt officiating. Interment will be in the North Indian Cemetery, under direction of the Poteet Funeral Home of Pawnee.