Don C. Poindexter

Don C. Poindexter, 86, of Newton, Kansas, went to be with his Lord and Savior at his home on October 28, 2026, surrounded by his family. He passed one day shy of the year anniversary his beloved wife passed away because he didn’t want to live another year without her. Don was born in Stephens, Arkansas, on April 18, 1940, to Dawson and Josephine (Mosley) Poindexter. He was one of eight children. Don was preceded in death by his parents; his wife of 53 years, Gloria (Gilbow) Poindexter; five brothers, Sanders, Jack, Willie, Sonny, and Jerry Poindexter; one sister, Frances Giles; and a son, Donnie Poindexter.

Don is survived by his sister, Betty Greenlee Hamilton of Camden, AR; his son, Michael Poindexter (Shelly) of Iron River, MI; his daughter Misty Goerzen (Paul) of Newton, KS; four grandchildren Eliza Lucero of Denver, CO; Drew Goerzen (Rachel) of Wichita, KS; Josiah Poindexter (Allison) of Warren, PA; Derek Goerzen of Newton, KS; two great-grandchildren Viviana Poindexter and Vera Goerzen; and several nieces and nephews.

While his brothers were avid hunters and fishermen, Don enjoyed sports, in particular football and boxing. After knocking out one of his brothers in their front yard, he was entered into the county fair to go toe to toe with a semi-professional boxer. Don knocked him out too. When football did not pan out for him in college, he moved to New Mexico to live with a sister and find work in the oil industry. He began working as a roughneck on drilling platforms and eventually became a drilling foreman with Koch Exploration. In an oilfield accident, Don lost four fingers on his left hand. He was left-handed and thus had to train himself to write with his right hand. It was in Rangely, Colorado that he met his beloved wife Gloria as they were set up on a blind date. They married at the courthouse in Meeker and started a family right away. His work took him to numerous states throughout the west and midwest such as North Dakota and South Dakota where they enjoyed being close to the Black Hills and visiting Mount Rushmore numerous times. After being forced into an early retirement, Don retrained and became a correctional officer for the state of Texas, being stationed in Dalhart, Texas, until his retirement.

Don began to take his faith in Christ seriously in 1981 following a near-death experience. While for some, that experience may have been short-lived, not for Don. He consistently encouraged his children in their faith development and regularly attended and supported a church in whatever town he and his family lived.

Don never met an all-you-can-eat buffet he didn’t like nor any televised sport he wouldn’t watch. Although, he did refuse to cheer for any Texas team. In his latter years, he never missed a day talking with his beloved sister, Betty, and talking often with two of his nieces, Sandra and Odie. Don was a kind, generous person who loved and provided well for his family. He was a quiet, humble man who will be greatly missed by his family, especially around the dinner table when he often would ask, “Did you get enough? Get up there and get you some more!”

A private service will be held for the family at a later time.