Doris Ann Yeats Goins

Doris Ann Yeats Goins was born July 21, 1934, in Panama, Oklahoma, and died June 23, 2026, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at the age of 91.

Doris Ann was the daughter of Jefferson (“Jeff”) Hillary Yeats and Geneva (McCalip) Yeats, and she had one older brother, Ollie Gene Yeats. Like many poor farming families after the Dust Bowl, Doris Ann’s family moved between Oklahoma and California multiple times, creating a life-long link between Doris Ann and California where her dear cousins remained. In 1950, Doris Ann’s parents moved from California to Stillwater, Oklahoma, for Gene to attend college, establishing Stillwater as a central location in Doris Ann’s life for many years thereafter.

At the age of 23, she married Verlan Leon “Dutch” Goins, a skilled carpenter and cabinet maker. On June 19, 1961, Doris Ann gave birth to her only child, Gaylen Keith Goins, in Stillwater. The Goins family and Doris Ann’s parents eventually moved to Stigler, Oklahoma, where Verlan pursued his cabinetry business and Gaylen spent his teenage years. As part of expanding his business, Verlan bought a lumber yard in Keota, Oklahoma, which Doris Ann operated while Verlan built cabinets in an adjoining workspace. Doris Ann added a robust greeting card section to the lumber yard and remained an avid user of greeting cards for the remainder of her life, thoughtfully remembering the special events in the lives of family and friends across the country.

In their retirement years, Doris Ann and Verlan maintained a “gentleman’s farm” in Poteau with chickens and goats that consistently entertained Doris Ann. Verlan died on March 4, 2011, after 54 years of marriage.

After Verlan’s death, Doris Ann moved to Tulsa to be near her brother Gene and his extended family. She lived at Country Oaks, an independent living facility in West Tulsa, where she enjoyed a vibrant life full of wit and laughter. She and Gaylen often traveled together, visiting friends around the country, and those trips were joyous highlights in Doris Ann’s life. She enthusiastically attended the Carbondale Church of Christ where she and Gene were active members. She eventually met Donnie Cozort at Carbondale, a “younger man” who became her late-life flame and frequent companion.

Doris Ann’s greatest heartbreak occurred when Gaylen died on May 17, 2019, after a long illness. Her dearly loved brother, Gene, died in 2022. Despite these losses, Doris Ann remained a positive soul for the remainder of her life, enjoying her friends and her family—looking at life as an adventure full of funny stories and colorful people.

The family would like to thank the staff and residents of Country Oaks for giving Doris Ann a warm home full of light and laughter. We also thank Donnie for giving Doris Ann so much sparkle and enjoyment in her later years. Finally, we thank Lynessa Yeats, Gene’s daughter-in-law and Doris Ann’s niece, for becoming Doris Ann’s primary caregiver, champion, and dear friend during her final years.

Graveside Service for Doris Ann Goins, 91, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, will be at 2:00 PM on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, at Vaughn Cemetery.  Burial will follow at Vaughn Cemetery in Gilmore, Oklahoma, under the direction of Evans & Miller Funeral Home of Poteau, Oklahoma, where Doris Ann will rest beside Verlan and Gaylen.