Cecil Harold Gatewood

Stilwell,OK- Funeral services for Cecil H. Gatewood will be held on Wednesday, August 14th,2013 at 2:00 PM at Reed-Culver Chapel with Pastor Jerry Wayne Gatewood officiating. Visitation will be held on Tuesday, August 13th, 2013 from noon until 8:00 PM at Reed-Culver. Interment will be held at Freewater Cemetery in Stilwell, OK.

Pallbearers for Cecil include J.C. long, Toby Owens, Roger Morton, Andy Ford, Charles Risley, and Rocky Hensley. Honorary pallbearers include Percy Sellers, Donnie Hensley, Billy Webb, and Dakota Burleson.

Cecil Harold Gatewood was born on November 18th, 1922 in Kiamichi, OK the son of Charles Benjamin and Cora Ann (Gan) Gatewood. Times were hard and Cecil never had the chance for a formal education. So he took what he had and lived life the best way he knew how. He began by marrying the love of his life, Sylvia Leona Long during WWII, while working in the munitions factory. This was a wonderful and loving relationship that produced two sons and 71 years of true friendship and loving memories. Cecil was an entrepreneur. He tried everything from running a garage, to being a mechanic to owning and operating a saw mill. He worked hard and could do anything he set his mind to. If the job required travel, he took Sylvia along and always stated,”I didin’t marry the girl to leave her at home!” When he was at home, he loved fishing! Fishing to country music was better if he heard Jimmy Rogers or Bill Monrow. He enjoyed traveling around the United States and seeing what there was to see, and always his Sylvia by his side. At home, Cecil enjoyed hosting a Gospel Singing at the house or a music party. His personality was such that you always felt he enjoyed your company and was genuinely happy to have you there. The time he spent with his family was so precious to him. He adored his family, sharing a meal, a laugh, or just a cup of coffee together. He was a Christian by faith and a member of Freewater Baptist Church. He worked hard in the church and in his life to set an example for others to follow, lean on the Lord and He will take care of you. The Lord called his good and faithful servant from this life on Saturday, August 10th, 2013 in Stilwell, OK with his loved ones by his side. He was 90 years old. His wife, family and friends will the laugh, the smile and the warm heart that was Cecil Gatewood.

Cecil is preceded in death by his parents, two sons, Leon Gatewood, and Harold Gatewood, his brothers, Tom, John, Jerry and Lee Gatewood, and two grandchildren, Bobby and Joseph Gatewood.

Those left to cherish his memory include his loving wife Sylvia of the home, his wonderful grandchildren, Chris Gatewood and wife Sherry, Melissa Gatewood and husband Charles Risley , and Melinda Gatewood all of Stilwell, OK, Sonia Russo of Washington, and April Webb and husband Billy of Stilwell, OK. He leaves two brothers and two sisters, Gene Gatewood of Stilwell, Bill Gatewood of Silaom Springs, AR, Florence Shepherd of Ft. Gibson, and Doris Sellers and husband Percy of Tahlequah, OK, as well as many nieces, nephews ,cousins and a host of friends and loved ones.