Elgin McMikle

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- J. Elgin McMikle, 88, of Charleston died Sunday, Jan. 26, 2014, at Charleston Manor.

He was born Dec. 11, 1925, in the Mississippi County community called Yellow Dog, to Joseph Bernie and Sally Katherine Black McMikle.

Elgin lived in Scott and Mississippi counties his entire life. At age 14, he began working at Orville Taylor Funeral Home in Sikeston, Mo.

He enlisted in the Navy in 1943 and while stationed at Camp Lejeune, N.C., was honored with being attached to a Marine battalion serving in the Asiatic Pacific campaign during World War II.

Following his military service, he enrolled in St. Louis School of Mortuary Science and received a mortuary science degree in 1947. He returned to the Orville Taylor Funeral Home where he was employed as a licensed embalmer and funeral director.

In 1951 he and his wife, Sue, completed the building of McMikle Funeral Home in East Prairie, Mo., then expanded their funeral business in 1954 to Charleston. In addition to the operation of two funeral homes and an ambulance service, they owned and operated the McMikle Florist and Gift shop in East Prairie.

He was elected Mississippi County coroner in 1956 and served in that position until choosing to retire in 1984. In 1990 the decision was made to consolidate their funeral business to the Charleston location, and in 1992 Elgin and Sue donated the former East Prairie facility to the Missouri Baptist Children's Home.

Elgin and Sue were honored as Business of the Year in 2000, and Charleston honored Elgin as 2008 Man of the Year. In 2011 he was presented a certificate of appreciation by the Missouri Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors for his commitment to the funeral service industry.

In addition to his membership in the national, Missouri and Southeast Missouri Funeral Directors and Embalmers Associations, he was a member of First Baptist Church in Charleston and former member of the Charleston Kiwanis Club. He served that organization as a former vice president and president, and held the position of procurement chairman more than 30 years and was their top ticket salesman for fundraising events.

He was a member of the American Legion, Charleston VFW Post 4294, Charleston Masonic Lodge 407 AF & AM, a 33rd Degree Mason of the Scottish Rite, a Shriner of the St. Louis Moolah Temple, and served as a charter board member of the Charleston Nutrition Center. In addition to the work in his chosen career, he was an advocate of wildlife conservation and was an avid golfer and bird hunter.

He and Sue Anna Allen were married March 5, 1949.

Survivors include his wife; a daughter and son-in-law, Mary Katherine and Bill Branum of Charleston; four grandsons, Joshua Adam McMikle of St. Louis, Matthew Elgin (Kimberly) Branum of Charleston, Blake Allen Branum of Memphis, Tenn., and Nelson Andrew (Nicki) McMikle of East Prairie; a granddaughter, Jennie-Claire McMikle of Hurst, Ill.; a sister, Margariete McMikle Shibley of Piperton, Tenn.; two great-grandchildren, Brooklyn Shae Irby and Aubreigh Nicole McMikle; and several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by a son, John Allen McMikle; two brothers, Billy McMikle and Willard McMikle; and two sisters, Eldoris McMikle Daniel and Leola McMikle Roach.

Visitation will begin at 3 p.m. Friday at First Baptist Church in Charleston until time for Masonic rites at 7:30 p.m.

The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at the church, with the Rev. Michael Brewer, pastor, officiating. Interment will be in IOOF Cemetery, with military graveside rites to be conducted.

McMikle Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Pallbearers will be Josh McMikle, Matthew Branum, Blake Branum, Nelson McMikle, Clinton Graham and Clayton Key.

Memorial contributions may be made to First Baptist Church, P.O. Box 442, Charleston, MO 63834, or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.