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Cecil Goforth
June 10, 2026
Cecil Joshua Goforth was born March 17, 1936, at Matthews Branch in Shannon County, Missouri, the eighth child of Richard D. “Dink” & Ida Belle (Brown) Goforth. He passed away on June 1, 2026, in Maples, Texas County, Missouri, at the age of 90 years, 2 months and 15 days.
Cecil was born into a musically gifted family and spent his childhood throughout Shannon County, much of it along the Current River. He attended school at Prairie Holler and later in Eminence. As a boy, he was affectionately nicknamed “Teetle” by his cousins, the Brown Sisters.
Cecil picked up the fiddle early in life and quickly expanded to other instruments, teaching himself as he went. Learning as a “southpaw” on right?handed instruments only added to the challenge, but he excelled, earning recognition in many fiddle competitions and jam sessions. As a jam session organizer and good friend once said, “A murmur of astonishment inevitably comes from the crowd when he first begins to play with the bow in his left hand.” Cecil especially enjoyed community jam sessions, where he formed friendships wherever he traveled.
After accepting Jesus Christ as his personal savior in adulthood, Cecil was baptized together with his brother, Lonnie.
Cecil is survived by special friend, Mary McCutcheon; children, Betty Kinder and husband Roger, Ray Goforth and wife Marilyn, Kay Keaton, and Becky Swiney and husband Dan; 13 grandchildren, 28 great grandchildren and three great-great grandchildren, three nephews and one niece, and many other friends and acquaintances. Cecil is preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Earl, Gene, Houston and Lonnie; sisters, Goldie Reed, Ruby Tucker, Ruth Goforth (infant sister), Betty Magness and Wanda Counts; son-in-law, Freddie E. Keaton and great grandson, Kaleb Lynn Keaton.
Graveside services will be held on Sunday, June 7, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. at New Eminence Cemetery in Eminence, Missouri. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Cecil’s can be made to New Eminence Cemetery. Arrangements entrusted to Fox Funeral Home. Online condolences may be left at www.foxfh.net
Cecil was born into a musically gifted family and spent his childhood throughout Shannon County, much of it along the Current River. He attended school at Prairie Holler and later in Eminence. As a boy, he was affectionately nicknamed “Teetle” by his cousins, the Brown Sisters.
Cecil picked up the fiddle early in life and quickly expanded to other instruments, teaching himself as he went. Learning as a “southpaw” on right?handed instruments only added to the challenge, but he excelled, earning recognition in many fiddle competitions and jam sessions. As a jam session organizer and good friend once said, “A murmur of astonishment inevitably comes from the crowd when he first begins to play with the bow in his left hand.” Cecil especially enjoyed community jam sessions, where he formed friendships wherever he traveled.
After accepting Jesus Christ as his personal savior in adulthood, Cecil was baptized together with his brother, Lonnie.
Cecil is survived by special friend, Mary McCutcheon; children, Betty Kinder and husband Roger, Ray Goforth and wife Marilyn, Kay Keaton, and Becky Swiney and husband Dan; 13 grandchildren, 28 great grandchildren and three great-great grandchildren, three nephews and one niece, and many other friends and acquaintances. Cecil is preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Earl, Gene, Houston and Lonnie; sisters, Goldie Reed, Ruby Tucker, Ruth Goforth (infant sister), Betty Magness and Wanda Counts; son-in-law, Freddie E. Keaton and great grandson, Kaleb Lynn Keaton.
Graveside services will be held on Sunday, June 7, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. at New Eminence Cemetery in Eminence, Missouri. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Cecil’s can be made to New Eminence Cemetery. Arrangements entrusted to Fox Funeral Home. Online condolences may be left at www.foxfh.net
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