Elijah Wrigley

Elijah Ray Wrigley, of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, son and 8th child of Richard Lewis and Deborah, née Compton, Wrigley, was born January 3, 1999, in Bunker Hill, Macoupin County, Illinois. He departed this life on March 26, 2020, in Welling, Oklahoma, at the age of 21 years, 2 months and 23 days.A freshman student at NSU studying accounting and finance, Elijah was on the Dean's List; a member of Sigma Tau Gamma Fraternity, serving in the capacity of Alumni Engagement Coordinator; on the staff of NSU's Rookie Bridge Camp; and a member of Impressions Dance Company.Elijah was employed by Walmart, and beloved by the management, co-workers, and customers alike.Elijah was a very caring and considerate young man, and he loved his family and friends with a passion. He had a sincere heart for people, willing to lend a helping hand, working hard and tirelessly at whatever he put his hand to. He was full of seemingly limitless energy, and once he put his mind to something, there was basically no stopping him. He was always ready to try new things and fearlessly meet new challenges. Elijah had a quirky sense of humor, an awesome smile, and the best hug when you needed one! He liked watching "chick-flicks" and Disney movies, yet he also enjoyed the out-of-doors: hiking through woods and among the Illinois River bluffs, climbing huge trees like a bear, swimming and goofing around in area rivers, and generally fully experiencing God's creation. He had a keen mind, and a passion for the Word of God. "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine...", and Elijah's merry heart did good not only to himself, but to all of us whose lives of which he was a part. Elijah interacted with many, many people over his 21 years, and he will be painfully missed by all who knew and love him.Elijah is survived by his parents Richard and Deborah Wrigley of Tahlequah, Oklahoma; his 11 siblings: Hannah Flores, husband Aldo, their son Conrado Rey; Jacob Wrigley, wife Haley, their daughter Penelope and son Maximus; Grace Wrigley; Isaac Wrigley, wife April, their son Brayden, daughter Alaina, daughter Ryleigh, son Isaiah, and daughter Savannah; Abigail Wrigley; Lily Wrigley; Richard Joseph Wrigley, wife Hannah, son David, daughter Natalie, and daughter Grace Jennifer; Fiona Wrigley; Anthony Wrigley; Francesca Wrigley; and Ian Wrigley; a paternal grandmother Carol Webb; a maternal grandmother Joan Compton; an aunt, Tana Murphy, husband Michael; an aunt, Pamela Kennedy, husband Richard; an aunt, Denise Terry; an aunt, Vikki Rawdon, husband David; several cousins; a great-uncle, Donald Cunningham, wife Lynn; a great-aunt, Patricia Brown; a great-uncle, Daniel Cunningham, wife Lina; a great-uncle, William Kluge; and a great-great-aunt, Evelyn Foster. Elijah was preceded in death by a paternal step-grandfather, David Webb; a paternal grandfather, Richard James Wrigley; a maternal grandfather, Herman Ray Compton; an uncle, Robert Terry, and a great-aunt, Joyce Kluge.