Don Maggard

Lifelong Cherokee County resident and founder/former Peggs Fire Department Fire Chief Don Lee Maggard passed from this life into the arms of his lord and savior Jesus Christ and the presents of God on October 11, 2022, at his home in Peggs, Oklahoma, while surrounded by his loving family.

He was born March 3, 1945, in Peggs, Cherokee County, Oklahoma, as WWII ended, to his parents, Harmon Maggard and Ruth Forrest Maggard. The childhood family was primarily in northern Cherokee County, Oklahoma, along the beautiful foothills of the Ozark Mountains.

Adventures were many for Don as his parents would routinely load up the car and head west along Route 66 to family in California to work picking crops of fruits and vegetables. Usually, this work would take the family on into the states of Oregon and Washington. On one such trip at eleven years old, Don, with his parents' approval, joined a traveling Circus working for a family who had a pony ride attraction.

His education from grade school through high school was spent in public schools at Teresita, Liberty, Peggs, and Tahlequah.

Back at home in Oklahoma, when Don was 16, attending church in Teresita, he and a beautiful teenage girl of 14 named Marie Millsap caught each other's eye. Soon they started dating and fell deeply in love. Although young, her 16 and he 18, their love was deep and everlasting. They were joined in marriage on March 8, 1963. With less than a dollar between them, they set up a home. Each day, their marriage provided a home of peace and refuge to them and strangers and friends who entered the gate of their home and lives.

A testament to love and devotion is a marriage lasting 59 years, 7 months, and 3 days. Hard times and illness only drew them closer with greater love and appreciation of God's gift of another day together. Closer together, using the strength of their love as a shield to protect each other. Age and illness had no power over their love. They still shared light laughter, stealing kisses and holding hands like newlyweds.

Don and Marie started their first home in Peggs, then Don's work took them to Locust Grove and Pryor. But the longing to move back to Cherokee County found them moving back first to Lowery, then full circle back to Peggs, making it home for the last 45 years. Before his retirement, He and Marie owned and operated a convenience store, garage, and tire shop in Peggs. They currently own and manage 1 Stop Storage Peggs.

From their marriage, Don and Marie have two adoring sons, The oldest, Donnal, and Darryl, the youngest. Raising the boys in a home with love and shelter from a troubled world was a labor of love for Don. Through each stage of their lives, Don, as the boys grew into men so did the relationship and bond between the father and sons. Donnal and Darryl feel blessed and honored to have Don as their Dad, and as adults, they added the title of best friend to be their dearest Dad. The three would exchange phone calls daily to discuss any troubles and share the latest events in their life. Through the difficult past three years of Don's failing health, the boys were active and participated in helping their Mom in Don's care, finding it a labor of love as he had once done for each of them.

In his travels growing up and in adulthood, his heart always looked back to the family and friends he loved in the little community of Peggs. See, you have to know something about Don. He had unyielding optimism and faith in his fellow man. He held himself to the teachings of Christ to live by the golden rule. Don understood what is now so lacking in our world, that success isn't measured by personal wealth. Still, success only comes with improving the lives of others, preventing harm, showing kindness, and having a vision of excellence and good things become possible. Don believed if you wanted to improve one's situation, it starts with performing selfless acts of kindness for others.

One only needs to examine Don's work to better the community and to see evidence and testimony of his faith and practice of leaving the world a better place.

Having his family been a victim of a house fire as a child and witnessing neighbors and friends losing their homes to fire. Don was on a mission to provide a Fire Department staffed with community volunteer firefighters. It would be fair to say his idea caught on like wildfire. Don was never shy to commit his wife to help with tasks for his projects; he looked to Marie, saying, get to cooking, Momma, we are going to have a fundraiser. For the next twenty-five years, the fire department operations with Don as Fire Chief consumed the daily life of the Maggard family. Both boys were drafted when they became age to help. The draft was always in effect in the Maggard house, with a mandatory call-up to support whatever project Don had taken on. But, for Don, the adventure never stopped. It became grander, but he always focused on helping his beloved friends and neighbors.

Failing health brought Don's retirement as fire chief and from the fire department. But, again, Don saw this as time available to start another project, this one being the founder of the Peggs Community Center and establishing a senior citizens meals program. In this same period, Don and Marie became foster parents and were a certified foster home for childing needing to be placed home for care. This, too, became a labor of love that involved the whole family. In their time as foster parents, Providing love, support, and a temporary home to 14 children during those years.

So few words fall short of providing the spirit and legacy of such a great man. Novels have been written about the life of men of lesser men.

Survivors include his wife, Marie Maggard of the home; sons, Donnal Maggard of Peggs, Oklahoma, Darryl Maggard, and his spouse Eddie of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma; sisters, Judy Ward and husband Jim of Shawnee, Oklahoma, Brenda Cornelius and husband David of Florida; brother, Randy Maggard and wife Suzie of Pryor, Oklahoma; brother-in-law Dean Millsap and wife Lancia of Kansas. He also leaves behind many nieces, nephews, cousins, and dear friends after his loss with cherished memories.

He was preceded in death, by his parents, Harmon and Ruth Forrest Maggard. he also leaves behind many nieces, nephews, cousins, and dear friends after his loss with cherished memories.