- Date Of Birth: August 26, 1929
- Date Of Death: October 11, 2012
- State: Arkansas
Eulonda Swafford Grist
August 26, 1929 – October 11, 2012
Eulonda Jo (Swafford) Grist, age 83, graduated from this life Thursday, the 11th day of October, at 12:30 am, peacefully at home with her family by her side. She courageously dealt with COPD, and a heart disorder for several years before she developed and succumbed to lung cancer.
She was born August 26, 1929 in Howe, OK, to Dallas (Dall) and Linnie Swafford. Eulonda worked at various locations in Southeast Oklahoma as a Licensed Practical Nurse before working as an Emergency Room Nurse and EMT Supervisor at Eastern Oklahoma Medical Center at Poteau, OK, retiring in 1992. Eulonda moved to Sheridan, AR, in 2002 to live near her daughter.
She was preceded in death by; her parents; three brothers, Edward, Jessie, and Oscar (Sonny); two sisters, Opal, and Juanita; and her husband of 27 years, Floyd.
Eulonda is survived by one sister, Ada Malmrose, of Brea, CA, a sister-in-law, Eula Mae Swafford of Duncan, OK, a brother-in-law, Ralph Grist of Campbell, TX, and a sister-in-law, Irene Chaffin of Campbell, TX.
She is also survived by her son, Eddy Grist and his wife Becky of Van Buren, AR. Eddy’s two sons and their families are Jason Grist and his wife Samantha, her three children, Vince Dickey of Skiatook, Brittany Steel of Tulsa, and Kacee Radi of Skiatook, OK; and Jeremy Grist and his wife, Wendy, and daughter, Madelyn, of Haysville, KS. Becky’s children are Sarah Hartley of Statesboro, GA; and Eli Hartley of the home in Van Buren, AR.
Eulonda is survived by her daughter, Karen Talbert and her husband, Bill, of Sheridan, AR, their children, Nathan Talbert of Sheridan, AR, Nichole Hawthorn, her husband, Mark, their two daughters, Aubrey and Jaelyn, and son, Gage, of Sheridan, AR; as well as numerous other nieces, nephews, and friends in several states including Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and California.
Eulonda was a practicing member of Immanuel Baptist in Sheridan, AR. She loved her Sunday school class and church family, and most of all her Lord, Jesus Christ. As soon as she returned home from receiving her lung cancer diagnosis, she immediately sat in her chair and started calling friends and family excitedly telling them she was soon going to go see Jesus. She was a firm believer in Paul’s words in Philippians 1:21, “To live is Christ and to die is gain.
