Oral Elwood “Pop” Standlee

Standlee

Oral Elwood “Pop” Standlee was born on March 6, 1940, in Berryville, AR. He lived much of his life in Golden, Missouri, with his sweetheart of 63 years, Donna Kay Standlee, whom he loved and supported above all else. To the very end, the connection they shared served as a rare and perfect testament to what love could be. Elwood was one half of the glue that held the Standlee family together, and he was a friend to so many.

Elwood passed away peacefully in the home he and Donna Kay built together, where her kitchen table and his shop bore witness to countless conversations and gatherings through the years. In the days leading up to his departure, dozens of people came to visit Elwood: former softball players, now adults, whom he had coached; lifelong friends who traveled 11 hours to Golden; and the friends and family who have kept him company over the last few months.

In 1957, Elwood graduated from Cassville High School, and following his marriage to Donna Kay, he began his career at General Motors in Kansas City. However, most people probably remember him best as a dairy, poultry, and cattle farmer. His grandkids recall riding on milk crates in his old white Dodge truck, off to check on the cows, a chore he turned into an adventure for them. He knew how to bump the gate to the pasture just right so it would open without him ever having to step foot out of his truck. He took his family down to the pond he’d stocked with catfish; he even had the fish trained to swim to the surface when he pulled up in his Dodge, blasting the local radio station so they knew it was feeding time. This also meant you could throw a line out and catch them, a little hillbilly ingenuity.

Elwood could be strongwilled. The word “ornery” comes to mind. Everyone knew him for his brutal honesty, yet he possessed the humility to acknowledge his own mistakes. His family remembers him as the toughest man with the biggest heart. He was full of wisdom, grit, and wit. He had funny (and sometimes strange) sayings and quips for all situations. He loved sports and going to ballgames; he was a Chiefs fan from the beginning. And his humor was unmatched, he was quick with the comebacks. He often told his grandkids to “be stout.” He tickled them and said, “Mind over matter!” He stepped on their toes when they complained that something else hurt. He was hard on them to make them grow. He was a true man of his word – he would help anyone willing to help themselves. He kept his integrity and always inspired others to do the same.

Elwood is survived by son, Dr. J.C. Standlee and his wife Kim of Jefferson City, MO; daughter, Donnel Armstrong and her husband Mike of Berryville, AR; brother-in-law, Dr. Al Hanby and his wife Dorothy of Springdale, AR; and nephew, Dr. Kris Hanby, his wife Stacey, and their kids Ellis, Charlie, and Cooper of Tontitown, AR. Elwood’s grandkids include MaHalie Campbell and her husband Roy of Berryville, AR; Mattie Head and her husband Joey of Blue Eye, MO; Emily Standlee and her brother Erick of St. Louis, MO; Elizabeth Snodgrass-Stringer and her husband James of St. Louis, MO; and Rachel Ollivander of Jefferson City, MO. Elwood’s great-grandkids include Addy Head, Thatcher and Louisa Stringer, and Bennington and Sawyer Ollivander.

Elwood was preceded in death by wife, Donna Kay Standlee; parents, Oral and Ruby Standlee; sister, Louise VanDyke; brother, Clifford Standlee; brother, Lavern Standlee; and grandchild, Kaylin Armstrong, who loved him very much.

Visitation will be from 1:00 p.m. till 2:00 p.m., Monday, May 6, at the Charles M. Nelson Memorial Chapel. Funeral service will begin at 2:00 p.m., interment will follow at the Berryville Memorial Park Cemetery.

Memorial donations may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or Grandview Baptist Church, 1001 Hwy 143, Berryville, AR 72616. Arrangements under the direction of Nelson Funeral Service. Online condolences may be sent to nelsonfuneral. com.