Nick Nathaniel Barksdale

On Thursday, June 2, 2022, Nick Nathaniel Barksdale, 30, entered Heaven the way he lived his life: with courage, dignity and grace. 

Nick was born on June 14, 1991, in Ada, Oklahoma.  He grew up in the Holdenville area and was homeschooled which created a thirst for knowledge and a love for learning that caused him to pursue studying, reading and collecting books to fill that need.  Nick never met a stranger and he had the ability and charisma to hold intelligent conversation on a wide range of topics.  The friendships he formed with people he worked with remained strong even after employment changed.  He was just that kind of man.  As a customer, he even had the courage to pursue a relationship with Morgan (who was working at Wal-Mart at the time) in 2011 which resulted in their marriage on January 17, 2014.  Nick loved spending time with his daughter, Liv (also known as his female twin) and had looked forward to getting to know his newest daughter, Lila.

Nick was born with the heart of a lion and possessed unrelenting determination.  All people will die, but not all  people really live.  Nick lived!  He packed so much life into his 30 years.  He traveled, chased his dreams, fell in love, had a family and started from the ground up as a Content Creator for his YouTube History Channel with upwards of 200,000 followers before his death.  He loved History, compiling a large collection of History books for researching and sharing with his followers.   

When the unexpected battle of endocarditis began at the end of last summer, Nick put one foot in front of the other and faced an unimaginable fight with grace, dignity, integrity and courage.  He battled the illness to the very end; illness did not beat Nick.  He faced it head on, armed with the love of Jesus Christ, his Savior whom he re-dedicated his life to in September, 2021, due in part to his lasting friendship with his former youth pastor, Rob Wyatt.  He was alive in Christ from that time forward.  Although we may no longer physically see Nick, we believe he left an indelible mark on all who were blessed to know him. 

Nick would want all of us to remember him with a smile rather than with tears.  He would want us to find comfort in knowing he is free from pain and home with his Heavenly Father.  His memory will continue to bring sunshine into our lives.  We will miss his witty sense of humor, his contagious smile, his love for life and his ever-changing hairstyles.  He will be deeply loved forever and will never be forgotten.  Nick was that “one in a million” special kind of person.  He will continue to be the reigning champion of “I SPY” at the dinner table. 

Nick is survived by his loving wife, Morgan Elizabeth (Murphy) Barksdale of Newcastle; two daughters, Liv Grace and Lila Dawn; mother and step-dad, Susan and John Nichols of Blanchard; brothers, Butch Barksdale and wife Nicole and Max Barksdale and fiancé Chelsea; sister, Amanda Barksdale; nieces and nephews, Liam, Tucker, Molly Kate, and Katigan Barksdale, Claire and Cruz Murphy; uncle, John Welch; cousins, Jason Welch and Cady Martin; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Patrick & Michelle Murphy; sister-in-law, Mikayla Murphy; and maternal grandparents, Roy and Maxine Welch.

Family and friends are invited to attend a memorial service at the Eisenhour Funeral Home Chapel in Blanchard, Oklahoma on Tuesday, June 7, 2022, at 10:00 AM.  Interment to follow at Newcastle Memorial Gardens in Newcastle, Oklahoma.  Arrangements are under the direction of Eisenhour Funeral Home, Blanchard, Oklahoma.  Online obituary and guestbook are available at www.eisenhourfh.com.