Keith Edwin Wiginton

Rev. Keith Edwin Wiginton Sr.
12/30/1935 - 12/27/2024
Keith Wiginton was born to Julia Beatrice (Savage) and W.O. (Woodie Otus) Wiginton in Jackson County, Oklahoma, on December 30, 1935. The Wigintons farmed cotton and ran a dairy four miles north of Altus. Keith had a childhood filled with love and many games of basketball, baseball, and kick-the-can with his brothers - Bryce, Travis, and Edsel. The academic and athletic coaching he received from them prepared the youngest son to be successful in school and throughout his life.
In his youth, Keith was a starting player on competitive Friendship School baseball and basketball teams and played on the 1951 and 1952 state champion Altus American Legion baseball team. Making almost perfect straight A's throughout all twelve years, he was the valedictorian of his graduating senior class in 1954. Keith then attended Southwestern Oklahoma State College where he was a starter all four years on conference-winning basketball and baseball teams. He was captain of both teams and was chosen for Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities for basketball in 1958. He was voted class president three years, served on the Student Senate, and was selected "Best Citizen" in 1958.
Keith had planned to teach and coach after college and had been offered an opportunity by head coach Rankin Williams to become an assistant basketball coach at SWOSC. However, a revival service at Weatherford First Baptist during his senior year changed Keith's life. He felt God's call and surrendered his life to do Christian work as a pastor. Although he was not happy to return to SWOSC for a fifth year to earn credits for seminary, he providentially met Linda June Graybill that year. Despite a courtship that occurred mainly via short letters during Keith's first year of seminary, the romance led to marriage on June 12, 1960 two days after Linda turned twenty.
During Keith's early years of preaching in small churches, Linda became his ministry partner. The couple developed a closer relationship while driving back and forth to Keith's classes at the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth. After the early years ministering in churches in southwest Oklahoma near their parents, God then called them to move to Blodgett Street Baptist Church in Carlsbad, New Mexico.
In 1965, Keith began losing weight and suffering from weakness and fatigue. It was a shock when his doctor diagnosed that he had type 1 diabetes and would need to take insulin shots every day for the rest of his life. God used this infirmity as an opportunity to show his miraculous intervention at many points in the coming years.
In 1967, Keith was called to be the first pastor of Highland Park Baptist Church in Edmond, OK, where he built up the new church for three and a half years. In 1971, the Wigintons were called to serve at First Baptist Church Altus, the home church of many members of Keith's family, including his mother.
Keith finished his working days in full-time ministry at First Baptist Church, overseeing many seasons of change and growth. During the time that he was the pastor, a new sanctuary was constructed, parking was expanded, buses were sent to all areas of the town to bring people to church, radio and cable broadcasts carried worship services to the homes of shut-ins, and people accepted Jesus and were baptized. During the 1970s and 1980s, Keith was a frequent preacher at Fellowship of Christian Athletes conferences, Falls Creek, Glorieta, Ridgecrest, and in numerous revivals. Keith was President of the Oklahoma Baptist General Convention for the 1981-82 term and served on the board until 1986. He was a featured speaker at the National Baptist Convention Evangelism Conference in 1994. In 2001, he retired after thirty years in Altus.
In 2003, Keith was inducted into the Southwestern Oklahoma State University Athletic Hall of Fame, as he was the only athlete to start four years in both basketball and baseball. He had previously been inducted into the Jackson County Athletic Hall of Fame.
In 2009, Keith received the Lifetime Achievement in Evangelism award at the State Evangelism Conference. During his 30 years in Altus, the church baptized 5,500, an average of 170 baptisms a year. In the last 20 years, the average was 203 baptisms a year, with over 300 baptisms a year for four of those years. Through Keith's obedient efforts in a small town with an air base in southwest Oklahoma, God used him to create an ongoing worldwide impact.
Keith was preceded in death by his wife, Linda June Wiginton; by his parents, W.O. and Julia Wiginton; by three brothers - Bryce, Travis and Edsel Wiginton; and by a baby sister.
He left behind four children - Dana Stobbe, Dena Kline (husband, Bret), Stacy White (husband, Scott) and Keith Wiginton II (wife, Sarah); eight grandchildren - Westin Wiginton, Dawson Wiginton, Dani Kline White (husband, Brent), Conner Kline, Keith Wiginton III, Kate Wiginton, Klaire Wiginton, and Kora Wiginton; and one great grandson, Asher White; along with many nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to jdrf.org.
A celebration of life service will be 2:00 p.m. Saturday, January 18, 2025 at the Altus First Baptist Church.
Funeral services have been entrusted to Lowell - Tims Funeral Home and Crematory, Altus, Oklahoma.