"Well done, good and faithful servant."

Rev. Elson Payne Hargrove, Jr., took his last breath on Sunday, August 17, 2025. During his last days, he said, "I never felt unloved." Elson did not often speak of his love, instead he lived and showed his love by doing things for others.

He was born to Elson Payne Hargrove, Sr., and Elizabeth Claudia (McDowell) Hargrove on February 24, 1935, in Broken Arrow off Lynn Lane and lived his early childhood in northeast Oklahoma mostly around Pryor. Work ethic and responsibility were evident early on, as a neighbor entrusted six-year-old Elson to milk the cows for several days while the neighbor was away. He caught every childhood sickness his first year of school, causing him to miss many days before the school year was cut short by the tornado which hit Pryor in April of '42. That fall, he restarted first grade which put him and his sister, Kathryn, in the same year throughout their schooling.

The Hargrove family relocated to southwestern Oklahoma near Blair in 1947. His first paying job as a young teen was driving the tractor at a neighbor's farm, earning 50 cents an hour. In high school, Elson played baseball, sang in chorus, and was 1954 Blair High School class salutatorian.

Methodist Church minister Rev. Boyd Ruffner had quite an influence on his life when Elson decided in high school to go into the ministry. Oklahoma City University gave a 50% discount to ministerial students and a Broadhurst scholarship helped pay the other half. With a footlocker containing everything he owned, the Ruffners drove him to Oklahoma City to start college. He worked all through his time at OCU, sometimes 40 hours a week or overnights while maintaining a full load of classes. Each semester he also worked on-campus, often in the library. He would work wheat harvests or farming in the summers.

Elson earned his bachelor's degree from OCU in 1958 and married Joyce Louise Agan on August 30, 1958. Their meeting was also thanks to Rev. Ruffner. After serving at Blair, Boyd was appointed to Custer City Methodist church, and he invited Elson to preach at Custer City one Sunday. Joyce came home that weekend and after church, Boyd offered that Joyce could drive Elson back to Oklahoma City to save him the trip. Elson was smitten with Joyce (and her '47 Chevrolet) and offered to buy her dinner that evening to thank her for the ride back to the City. He then made an excuse that he needed to stop at the dorm first. Actually, the stop was to borrow money from his good friend Slim as he had no money even for a hamburger. A year later, Rev. Ruffner performed their wedding ceremony.

That night after the wedding, Joyce and Elson started the drive to Dallas so he could begin seminary at Southern Methodist University the following week. He received his divinity degree from Perkins School of Theology in 1961. Son Steven Neill was born in 1961 and daughter Belinda Gayle in 1962.

Rev Hargrove's church appointments included Valliant (1959-61), McAlester Wesley (1961-62), Coalgate (1962-63), Carnegie (1963-66), Tulsa Harrison Memorial & Lake (1966-68), Pawnee & Skedee (1968-73), Wewoka & Cromwell (1973-76), Frederick (1976-80), and Tahlequah (1980-84). He was then appointed to Oklahoma Methodist Manor (now Trinity Woods) for 15 years first as associate administrator then administrator.

A meticulous recordkeeper, Elson tracked family finances on a large accountant's ledger book for years and documented each of his 100 baptisms, 179 wedding ceremonies, 283 funerals, and 427 people received into church membership including 131 professions of faith. That recordkeeping also led him to be Oklahoma Conference statistician for seven years. Other appointments included Board of Christian Literature, Board of Evangelism, Board of Missions, Boy's Ranch Board of Trustees, Board of Health and Welfare, Board of Ordained Ministry (including 4 years as Registrar), United Methodist Children's Home Board and Cookson Hills United Methodist Center Board. In 1970, the State of Oklahoma appointed him to the Area Council on Juvenile Delinquency. He also served as dean of district youth church camps for 20 years. He retired from the United Methodist Church in 1999.

His work with the Boy Scouts began in 1962, serving as Cubmaster, neighborhood commissioner, Scoutmaster and religious relations committee chairman. Elson participated in Boy Scout chaplain training at Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico and was a chaplain to two National Scout Jamborees: 1973 in Idaho and 1977 in Pennsylvania. He is Woodbadge-trained and a member of Order of the Arrow. In 1978, the Black Beaver Council presented him the Silver Beaver award, the highest award a Council can present to its adult volunteers.

Elson loved the great outdoors, awed by the beauty of God's creation. Family camping vacations mostly visited national parks in Colorado as well as to New Mexico, Houston, the Canadian Rockies, Grand Canyon, California, and family reunions in Iowa and Indiana. After retiring, they spent most summers in South Fork, Colorado, gaining a new community of friends. Elson and Joyce ventured all the way to Alaska in 2002 with a motorhome tour, accompanied by their faithful dog Sam. While most of their travels were within the U.S., they attended the Oberammergau Passion Play on a trip through Germany and Austria and toured places of his family ancestry in Ireland and religious sites in Israel.

Upon moving to Tulsa in 1984, he and Joyce were active in St. Matthew's United Methodist Church, now Hope UMC. He supported the church in numerous activities including teaching Sunday school, trustees, finance committee, Spot 31 and several Volunteers in Mission (VIM) trips. He was a visiting minister in Marble, Colorado, interim minister at Chapel of the South Fork, as well as at St. Matthew's UMC.

Elson was a man of many talents and could make or fix most anything, keep alive most any green plant and grow beautiful outdoor flowers. He was known for his woodworking and crafts; especially outdoor nativity sets and wooden Christmas ornaments. He often helped Joyce with her sewing and quilting projects. Elson appreciated history and researched his family genealogy. He started taking photographs when quite young and was seldom in the family photos as he was the one taking them. He could talk with anyone and loved telling stories or jokes to entice a laugh and join in the laughter. Not necessarily known for his patience, Elson could spend hours quietly waiting for fish to bite. Known to his entire family as "Junior," he also was called "Preach," "Brother Elson" and "Daddy."

His life had a couple full-circle events in that the house where he and Joyce lived in Tulsa 1984-2022 was less than 3 miles from his birthplace. And after being administrator at Oklahoma Methodist Manor (now Trinity Woods), he and Joyce both became residents there 23 years later in long-term nursing care. He lovingly cared for Joyce until the last week of his life.

Elson is survived by Joyce, his wife of nearly 67 years; his son Steven of Tulsa; his daughter Belinda of Colleyville, TX; his sister Kathryn of Converse, TX; and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. His brothers Roy, James and Kenneth preceded him in death.

Elson had a lasting influence on many church members, particularly youth. Some of those now-adults have shared, "I hope he realized the influence he had on us so many years so. 'Train up a child in the way he should go...' He led us in our Spiritual growth which still sustains us." "He had a huge impact on my Christian faith." "He was one special man. Through all my ministers, he was always the one." "He made a huge impact on my life & faith journey." And "He was an inspiration of true Christian love and life to me. Always with a smile, always ready to help. His picture should be by 'ideal Methodist pastor' in the dictionary. For me, that is how he lives within my heart!"

A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 13, 2025, at Trinity Woods Fleming Center, 4134 East 31st Street, Tulsa, OK.

The family appreciates the loving care of Trinity Woods staff and Amedysis Hospice for the comfort provided Elson. Memorials may be directed to Trinity Woods, 4134 East 31st Street, Tulsa, OK 74135 or https://trinitywoodstulsa.com/donate/