Obituary for Elza Donald Goforth
Lowell-Tims Funeral Home
1100 E. Tamarack Road
Altus, Oklahoma 73521
(580) 482-1233
GOFORTH
Don Goforth passed away Tuesday, September 19 at Medical City Hospital in Denton, Texas surrounded by family. He grew up in Oklahoma, graduating from Southside High School in 1956. He attended Altus Junior College and Southwestern University in Waxahachie, Texas. He married Gloria Jean Whitehead on November 25, 1959.
Early in his life, Goforth and his wife were involved in ministry, serving as house parents at Hillcrest Children"s Home in Hot Springs, Arkansas. He combined his love for children"s ministry and the outdoors by serving in the Royal Ranger program of the Assemblies of God, becoming commander of the Frontiersmen Camping Fraternity for the state.
After starting a family, he began many years of work in the newspaper business. He managed the Altus Times from 1969-1973, when he left to purchase the Kiowa County Democrat in Snyder, Oklahoma. He subsequently moved to Cleburne, Texas where he purchased the Johnson County News.
After retiring from his career in journalism, Goforth returned to ministry. He was the pastor at Fountain of Life Church in Odessa, Texas and pastored senior"s programs at various other Texas churches. He also served as the chaplain at two hospice companies before returning to Altus in 2012. He most recently became a published author, writing a series of frontier western novels.
He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Gloria; his children, Lana Miles and husband Ben from Denton, TX, LaDonna Thompson and husband Mark from Austin, TX and Michael Goforth and wife Cherrie from Waxhaw, NC.; seven grandchildren, Joshua Miles, Justin Thompson, Hannah Goforth, Jadyn Miles, Lily Goforth, Macy Thompson and Nathan Goforth; three siblings, Phyllis Stevens, Marcia Fatkin and Glen Goforth and wife Rhonda; and lifelong friends Marion "Bud" and Janell Woolsey. He was preceded in death by his parents, Ernest and Anna Goforth; three siblings, Harold Jay Goforth, Jeneta Potts and Troy Goforth; brothers-in-law Gary Stevens, Farris Whitehead, and Dale Thurlby; and a nephew, Jonathan Goforth.
The family will greet friends at visitation on Saturday, September 23 from 6-8 p.m. at Lowell-Tims Funeral Home in Altus.
The funeral service will be on Sunday, September 24 at 2:00 p.m. at the Lowell-Tims Funeral Home Chapel in Altus. Interment will follow at Hess Cemetery.
For those not able to attend the service, Lowell-Tims will provide a live web-cast of the service beginning at 1:58 p.m. Sunday. Go to www.Lowell-Tims.com and click on obituaries. Then click on Don Goforth. There will be a large area inviting you to join the web-cast.
To sign the online guest book and share memories with the family please visit www.Lowell-Tims.com
09/23/2017
6:00 PM
8:00 PM
Visitation
Lowell-Tims Funeral Home in Altus
09/24/2017
2:00 PM
Funeral
Lowell-Tims Funeral Home Chapel in Altus
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1100 E. Tamarack Road
Altus, Oklahoma 73521
(580) 482-1233
GOFORTH
Don Goforth passed away Tuesday, September 19 at Medical City Hospital in Denton, Texas surrounded by family. He grew up in Oklahoma, graduating from Southside High School in 1956. He attended Altus Junior College and Southwestern University in Waxahachie, Texas. He married Gloria Jean Whitehead on November 25, 1959.
Early in his life, Goforth and his wife were involved in ministry, serving as house parents at Hillcrest Children"s Home in Hot Springs, Arkansas. He combined his love for children"s ministry and the outdoors by serving in the Royal Ranger program of the Assemblies of God, becoming commander of the Frontiersmen Camping Fraternity for the state.
After starting a family, he began many years of work in the newspaper business. He managed the Altus Times from 1969-1973, when he left to purchase the Kiowa County Democrat in Snyder, Oklahoma. He subsequently moved to Cleburne, Texas where he purchased the Johnson County News.
After retiring from his career in journalism, Goforth returned to ministry. He was the pastor at Fountain of Life Church in Odessa, Texas and pastored senior"s programs at various other Texas churches. He also served as the chaplain at two hospice companies before returning to Altus in 2012. He most recently became a published author, writing a series of frontier western novels.
He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Gloria; his children, Lana Miles and husband Ben from Denton, TX, LaDonna Thompson and husband Mark from Austin, TX and Michael Goforth and wife Cherrie from Waxhaw, NC.; seven grandchildren, Joshua Miles, Justin Thompson, Hannah Goforth, Jadyn Miles, Lily Goforth, Macy Thompson and Nathan Goforth; three siblings, Phyllis Stevens, Marcia Fatkin and Glen Goforth and wife Rhonda; and lifelong friends Marion "Bud" and Janell Woolsey. He was preceded in death by his parents, Ernest and Anna Goforth; three siblings, Harold Jay Goforth, Jeneta Potts and Troy Goforth; brothers-in-law Gary Stevens, Farris Whitehead, and Dale Thurlby; and a nephew, Jonathan Goforth.
The family will greet friends at visitation on Saturday, September 23 from 6-8 p.m. at Lowell-Tims Funeral Home in Altus.
The funeral service will be on Sunday, September 24 at 2:00 p.m. at the Lowell-Tims Funeral Home Chapel in Altus. Interment will follow at Hess Cemetery.
For those not able to attend the service, Lowell-Tims will provide a live web-cast of the service beginning at 1:58 p.m. Sunday. Go to www.Lowell-Tims.com and click on obituaries. Then click on Don Goforth. There will be a large area inviting you to join the web-cast.
To sign the online guest book and share memories with the family please visit www.Lowell-Tims.com
09/23/2017
6:00 PM
8:00 PM
Visitation
Lowell-Tims Funeral Home in Altus
09/24/2017
2:00 PM
Funeral
Lowell-Tims Funeral Home Chapel in Altus
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