Mary Dawneve Cain

June 1, 1951 - March 3, 2020

On June 1st 1951, Mary Dawneve Knollenberg was born the third of four siblings, to Eloise Idell Wallace Knollenberg (Granmma Leachie to all of us) and William "Bill" Knollenberg in Humboldt, Illinois. In the sixties when Dawn was a teenager, the girls began making their home in Tahlequah Oklahoma, with their mother and step-father Leach Leach. Dawn graduated from Tahlequah High School. Also around that time Dawn married Perry Cain and they had a daughter, Christie Eloise. Later, Dawn became a meter maid. In fact, she was the last meter maid for the City of Tahlequah. Following that, Dawn attended Northeastern State University where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Sociology. While attending NSU, Dawn got a work study job in the Office of Admissions there on campus. After a couple of years she landed the position of Receptionist there in the same office. Over the years she moved up in rank, until retiring a few years ago as the Director of Admissions. It was during those working years that Dawn met her longtime boyfriend Dave. Dawn enjoyed her admissions office positions, especially working with the foreign or "special" students and teaching an orientation class each semester. She also advised many students on how to go about obtaining their degree of choice. In her personal time, Dawn enjoyed working in her gardens and spending time with those she cared about. Most every year she hosted "the girls float" where only females floated Baron Fork Creek on air mats. She and Dave regularly floated and fished together on that same and other creeks. Dawn loved to spend time with her family especially those grand and great-grandkids. For a number of years she was involved with the Democratic Women's Party. And she loved Judge Judy so much that Judy's last day on the air was also Dawn's last day with us! Dawn found humor in most things- even if it wasn't funny. She was kind and loving to the point that any critters or bugs that she found inside the house, she would catch in a towel and throw outside. She may have killed a few annoying flies buzzing around but that was it! EVER! Dawn was preceded in death by her father, her mother, her step-father, her brother Ron, her sister Susan, nephews Aaron and Wayne Cunningham and her granddaughter Ashley Dawn McGowin. She leaves behind her companion of 30 some odd years, David Boswell, of the home place; a daughter, Christie Eloise Vaughn, of Tahlequah Ok; a brother Jim Knollenberg and wife Joyce of Ft. Lupton, Colorado; grandsons Skyler McGowin, and his mate Mikaela, of Wichita Kansas; Heath Vaughn and His Lady, Hannah, also of Wichita Kansas; granddaughters Amelia McGowin and her love La'Quita, of Wichita Kansas; Patience Vaughn of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; and Charity Vaughn and her significant other Myron, of Wichita Kansas. Also left behind are great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins and a plethora of other friends and loved ones. Dawn will be greatly missed!