Elo McGuire

Elo McGuire, 89 years old, of Tontitown, Arkansas, passed away on October 10, 2024, at Siloam Springs Nursing and Rehabilitation, Siloam Springs, Arkansas. He was born January 3, 1935, in Eufala, Oklahoma, to Marion and Cordilla (Robinson) McGuire. He is preceded in death by both parents, and two brothers, Aaron McGuire and J.A. McGuire. Elo is survived by his wife, Priscilla, of the home; son, Ronald Dean McGuire, of the home; son, Brent McGuire (Karen), of Ft. Stockton, Texas; daughter, Mary Elizabeth Chapman (Tom), of Ft. Stockton, TX; grandchildren: Ashley McGuire Finley, Jarod Shipman, Jessica Harral, and Wade Shipman; and nine great-grandchildren. Whenever we experience the passing of a loved one, our minds are filled with thoughts. Thoughts of the joys we experienced with them, and of course the smiles and laughter. We are also filled with thoughts of how fragile and frail life’s gifts are; and makes us aware of our fragile bodies, we get a heightened sense of our own mortality. In the last year, Elo became aware of this in his own body. As his body became more fragile, he began whistling. It is believed his whistling was not random, as most things we say, hear, and do in life are not. This whistling would sometimes be loud, last for a while and sometimes it was soft and short. The happier Elo was, the louder and longer he would whistle. For these reasons, it is believed the reasoning for his whistling was to keep his inward spirit going strong, while knowing his physical strength was failing. Whistling tunes such as “Amazing Grace” and other gospel tunes could also have been his way of trying to uplift those of us around him, as in 2 Corinthians 4; 16, “Though our outward bodies are wasting away, our inward spirit is being renewed day by day.” While today is a sad day, I implore all of you to rejoice in the memory of the man who was Elo McGuire. He was a devoted family man, enjoyed hunting and fishing with his children, and later in life with his grandchildren. Elo also built his family on the importance of hard work. After moving to Ft. Stockton in 1957 to begin working in the oil and gas business. His neighborhood in Ft. Stockton was small and his family came to be close with everyone around them. Elo and Priscilla moved to Arkansas in 1995, after he retired. When a loved one passes, those who remain might say we enter a time that is not the same. A time for healing, and insight, and even an understanding that does not readily come to us in everyday life. A graveside service will be held Tuesday, October 15, 2024, 1:00 p.m., at Lenna Cemetery, in Eufala, Oklahoma. To sign the online guestbook, please visit: www.wassonfuneralhome.com

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Elo McGuire

January 3, 1935 - October 10, 2024