ANYBODY WANT TO GO FISHING?

The most significant phrase to reveal the joy of Eli's life.

Walter Lee Compton was born on January 24, 1943 at Lindsay Oklahoma.  The nickname of Eli was given to him by a family friend when he was a young child and he has continued to use that name throughout his life. Eli became a Christian and was baptized with his wife, Shirley at Bethel Baptist Church in Anadarko, Oklahoma in 1970.

Eli was a kind and generous person. He worked hard. He never met a stranger and he loved to talk. He was a true friend and would help anyone in need. He was a great father and he loved his children and grandchildren.

He is the youngest son of Molly Mildred (Rouse) Compton and Walter William Compton. Eli has two brothers: William Edward (Bill) Compton of Kansas City, Missouri and Joe Ray Compton of Foster, Oklahoma and two sisters: Elizabeth Ann (deceased) and Jessie Lucille Gale (deceased).

Some of the best memories of Eli's childhood were spent in Roseburg Oregon where he pursued his passion for fishing. He caught trout from the mountain streams while his dad and granddad worked in the logging business.  Eli loved to hunt and Oregon was a great place to do that.  As a child, Eli had rheumatic fever which caused paralysis in his legs and some damage to his heart. His parents were told he would never walk again but Eli made his own decisions. While doctors told him to stay in bed he decided to walk around the bed when his mother wasn't looking. Later he progressed to riding his bike and then he was off and running to the streams to go fishing.  Because of his health his parents were advised to move to a drier climate.

In 1955, the Compton family moved to the Doyle Community and the children attended Doyle Public Schools years before moving to Purdy, Oklahoma.  Eli attended school in Lindsay during this time. After school, Eli attended Oklahoma Barber College in Oklahoma City and became a licensed Barber in 1964. His first job was at Bridwell's Barber Shop in Lindsay, Oklahoma. He moved from Lindsay to Anadarko, Oklahoma where he worked at the Palace Barber Shop and later he opened Eli's Barber and Beauty Shop with his wife Shirley. His Barbering claim to fame was cutting Johnny Bench's hair.

Eli left Anadarko to manage Convenience Stores for the Wag A Bag Corporation and later he worked for Love's Corporation.  When Eli resigned as manager of Love's Convenience Store, he worked for WelTes in Oklahoma City. In the 1980's, he began Eli's Well Testing and moved from Purcell Oklahoma to Weatherford, Okla.  He worked in the oil field for 33 years, where he met some of his best friends.  Eli moved to Hinton in 1995. He continued to do some well testing, as well as worked on a farm until he moved to Purdy in 2005 and retired.

Eli's retirement enabled him to fish and to spend time at the Casinos with his brothers, Ed and Joe. They were natural fishing buddies and they fished everywhere from Fuqua, Canton, Sardis, to Texhoma and Truman Lake in Missouri. No lake was too far or near if the fish were biting. The only thing that would slow down the fishing was if there was a Casino in between their fishing spots.

Walter Lee Compton and Shirley Ann Morris met when Eli was 14 and she was 12 and married after Shirley graduated High School. They were married on June 21, 1964 in Lindsay, Oklahoma at the Church of Christ. Eli and Shirley were married for 31 years, until 1995.

Eli became a father at 26 to a daughter, Sharina Lea Ann Compton. She was born on June 9, 1969 in Anadarko, Oklahoma. Eli was a devoted father, would take her everywhere with him, and taught her to fish before she was potty trained. When Sharina was "sick" and couldn't go to school, Eli would take her to work with him and let her camp out and make a fort in the stockroom allowing her to have a healthy lunch of candy, beef jerky, and pickles.  Throughout her  childhood,  Eli  was involved in her sporting events such as Coaching her Softball Teams, being a Sales-Rep for her trophy winning candy sales,   and would even run around the outside of the track with  her in her track meets. She loved going fishing, hunting, camping, and water skiing with her dad. We also credit Sharina's love of visiting with everyone she meets to Eli and the time she spent with him in the convenience store as a little girl.

When Eli was 34, his son Audy Ray Compton was born on March 31, 1977 in Purcell, Oklahoma. Finally, Sharina got to do girly things because Audy was more than willing to go fishing, hunting and camping with his dad. No one needed to teach Audy, he was born knowing these survival skills which helped him when going to Church Camp, and Boys Scout Camp with his dad. Audy was known for catching more fish then Eli. Eli will always hold the record for staying the longest when the fish are not biting. The Hunting and Fishing trips didn't stop as Audy became an adult. They got to be longer, include more of Audy's friends, and Uncles. The trips became competitive, and were remembered by mounted deer heads and multiple Fishing Tournament Trophies.

The Compton family continued to grow when Sharina married Robert Dale Cole on August 13, 1988. Eli loved Robert and immediately grew to be great friends, and co-workers. Eli saw the potential for a fishing buddy While Robert was happy to be accepted and included, he was never as dedicated to the sport as Eli. Early on Robert learned 2 important lessons when fishing with Eli: take food and your own truck.

Robert remembers Eli as always being there for him unconditionally, being generous, and kind. A reflection of this came when Robert was on an oilfield location, and received the shocking call that his mother was dying  with Cancer in Halstead, Kansas. Eli drove him there and stayed with him while his mom was receiving the diagnosis and treatment from the Doctors. Being there as a support system was also exhibited when Robert was helping with an Auto Auction in El Reno, and Eli went to give him the news that his brother had passed away. Being around Eli at "just the right time" was also a necessity around meal time. He was a generous cook, and thrived on feeding others by smoking barbecue, preparing oilfield cookouts, his famous fish frys, and everyone knows you better not burn his beans or chili!

On June 1, 2002, Audy married Misty Lea Ann Groth.  Misty liked Eli's sense of humor and his acceptance of her into the Family. Sharing his passion of the outdoors was passed on to Misty when she had mentioned that she had never been camping before, and Eli set up camp for Audy and Misty, provided food, then disappeared. Eli served as support when Misty was so sick by constantly being there for what they both needed. Once Misty's health was under control, Eli would eagerly cancel his plans to Babysit Boomer, Audy and Misty's Great Pyrenees, so they could have a weekend out.

The compassion was returned to Eli when Misty and Audy served as Caregivers for Eli after his hip surgery and heart attack, when he moved in their home until transferring to the Hospital.

Eli became a Grandfather on August 20, 1991 with the birth of Zachary Ryan Cole, followed by the birth of Cameron Briggs Cole on May 9th, 1995, then Hunter Hayden Cole on October 27, 1997.

The boys all loved his humorous light hearted spirit, and his love for the outdoors. He taught them really young that fishing was a serious sport.

Eli's nieces, nephews, and in-laws were all treated like kids and siblings. He valued his relationships with them and were treasured as true friendships throughout his life.

Before Eli's recent unfortunate events of his hip surgery and heart attack, he exhibited his "servant's heart" by volunteering to take sick friends and family to the Doctor, grocery stores, and even the Casino, imagine that!! He would offer his mobile haircuts by going to their house to cut their hair.

He would "pick others up, while he was falling."

Eli worked hard and enjoyed his life. He knew how to enjoy the simple things in life.  He valued his family and friends.  He helped his friends, neighbors and loved his family. If he were speaking to you today, his family, fishing, hunting, casinos and cooking out would be part of the conversation. He would tell you about the ones that got away, the big ones he caught, the best places to fish and then he would suddenly decide that today would be a great day to go again, just to see if they are biting.