Charles Royce Enloe

We grieve the loss of Charles Royce Enloe, born September 1st, 1934, going to his forever home April 19, 2024. He had resided in Nowata, OK with his granddaughter Chelsea Cox, her husband and their three children when he took his final breath. He lived 89 very long years on this Earth. He met the love of his life, Catherine Marie Riley and they married on January 27, 1960. They soon had their first son, Charles Allan Enloe, in October of 1960 and in December of 1962 they welcomed their last son, Steven Ray Enloe. They spent 37 blissful years married, until Catherine's death in 1997.

Charles spent most of his life working. He enlisted into the United States Army in 1957 at Ft. Bliss, Texas. Where he spent a year in Korea running heavy equipment building up the compounds where the soldiers lived. He was honorably discharged in July of 1963, after he was called back in for the Cuban Missile Crisis. After marrying his wife and starting their family, they traveled for many years as he ran heavy equipment on the pipeline and other construction sites. Some of those places included: Vinita, Muskogee, Nowata, Hugo, and Eufaula, OK. He worked in Checotah, OK on the Pat Mayse Dam, he worked for CW Ralph on riprap in Valliant, OK and a company named McBride in Wilburton, OK. They traveled to Olympia, WA for a few months and eventually moved back to Nowata, OK to take care of his ailing mother-in-law Lettie Riley, where he found himself helping his wife Catherine on her mail route.

He was known for his knowledge of operating heavy equipment, running 75 Cats and 651 scrapers for Pea Body Coal Company for 20 years. Charles was notorious for his orneriness and always having a story to tell. Whether the story was about growing up in Blanco, OK, running around with his friends in Pittsburg County, or one of his many stories from Korea. Some of his hobbies included playing dominoes, that he took very seriously, at the Nowata Senior Citizens and in earlier years, breaking farm equipment for his son Steve to fix.

Charles loved all his family. He is preceded in death by his parents William Berry Enloe and Elsie Mae (Hammontree) Enloe, his five brothers James (Fat Boy) Enloe, Frank (Denny) Enloe, John Enloe, and Sam Enloe, his son Steven Ray Enloe, and many Riley family members. He is survived by his eldest son Charles Allan Enloe and wife Kim Enloe of Noble, OK, granddaughters Keri Enloe of Pryor, OK, Summer Enloe and fiancé David Holeman of South Coffeyville, OK, Chelsea Cox and husband Larimey Cox of Nowata, OK and four great grandchildren Rango Cox, Roslynn Cox, Rylee Cox, and Rayelon Holeman. As well as many nieces and nephews from both the Enloe and Riley side.

Charles will be deeply missed by all who knew him. His integrity and selflessness are a couple characteristics he will be remembered as he always tried to help anyone that came through his path. His life will be incessantly celebrated by those that loved him and his stories will be passed down for generations to come.

Funeral services for Charles will be held Wednesday, April 24th, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. at the First Baptist Church 433 N. Mississippi street, Nowata, OK. Followed by a graveside prayer. There will be a visitation held Tuesday, April 23rd, 2024, at Benjamin's Funeral Service from 6:00 PM-8:00 PM. Dinner will be held at the Nowata Fair Building for family and friends immediately following the graveside service.