Eloise Strickland's Obituary
Eloise Strickland
Funeral services for Eloise Strickland will be held at Ten O'clock am Friday December 19, 2008 at the Chapel of Rader Funeral Home 1617 Judson Road with Jerry McCahren officiating. Graveside services will be held at 1:30 pm Friday December 19, 2008 at the Haven of Memories Cemetery in Canton, Texas under the direction of Rader Funeral Home of Longview. Mrs. Strickland passed away Wednesday December 17, 2008 in Longview.
She was born November 6, 1931 in Edgewood, Texas to Judge Dillard and Ona Martin Jacobs. She worked in customer service at J. C. Penney's and was a member of the Alpine Church of Christ.
Her greatest joy was working with Longview Habitat for Humanity, which she began volunteering with in 1998. In her nearly 10 years of service with the organization, she logged more hours than any other individual volunteer. In 2002, she was named Longview Habitat's "Volunteer of the Decade". Eloise donated nearly every Saturday to the Habitat construction sites, and worked three days a week in the Habitat Restore. From the scrap materials she found on the jobsites, Eloise built birdhouses for each of the new homeowners. She would try anything, saw potential in everything and everyone, and was a role model for many Habitat volunteers and staff.
She is survived by her children, Richard Strickland of Longview, Nancy Rittenberry and husband Norman of Duncanville, TX.; Allen Strickland and wife Tina of Longview, TX.; Jamie Austell and husband Michael of Longview, TX.; grandchildren, Michael Walker and wife Vanessa, John and Taylor Rittenberry, Emily Austell,
great-grandchild, Graham Walker.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Judge Dillard and Ona Martin Jacobs
The family request that memorials be made to Habitat for Humanity 300 W. Tyler Longview, Texas 75601
The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Thursday December 18, 2008 from 6-8pm.
What’s your fondest memory of Eloise?
What’s a lesson you learned from Eloise?
Share a story where Eloise's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Eloise you’ll never forget.
How did Eloise make you smile?