Remembered by many . . .

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Celebrates 83rd Birthday – Louie and Doris (Watkins) Ellison (pictured) recently celebrated Doris’ 83rd birthday on August 1. The couple have been married for 66 years and Louie will celebrate his 85th birthday on October 26.

The celebration was held at the parsonage at Beaverdam Baptist Church.

Although Doris is now staying at the NHC Healthcare on Hwy. 81, Anderson, her husband says he visits with her as often as he can.

Ellison said the couple have friends all over the area and he wants them all to know they are still doing well.

Ellison worked for Harper Corporation and Daniel Construction and helped farm 250 acres at one time.

He said he was drafted for World War II in July of 1945 and was discharged in December “due to the war ending.”

When he found he was being discharged, Ellison said the couple planned to get married on Christmas Eve but when they applied for their marriage license they found that they had to wait 10 days, and that delayed the wedding date to Dec. 27th, 1945.

“He gave me the perfect lady,” he said.

Ellison said he helped his mother on a “three horse farm” which included about 30 acres of cotton, corn, oats and other plantings.

When he was drafted, friends and relatives, including his sister, attempted to get him out of the military so he could help his mother with the farm and a handicapped brother, but he was drafted anyway.

He said he was lucky that he was discharged before going into battle in the war.

He said through the years he continued to farm and raised some cattle and often provided excess vegetables to friends and others in need. He said they would plant four rows of corn and only sold about one dozen.

A friend from the White Plains community, Tom Clark, gave Ellison a poem in February of 1976 which he still carries, folded and taped together, with him.

The poem reads:

He provides for his family and he does it real well,

and all of his neighbors think that he’s real swell.

He’ll help a stranger who’s down on his luck,

he’s concerned about people not the almighty buck.

He won’t go down in history like some great men do,

But he’ll be remembered by many more than a few.

And when he reads this I know, that he’ll grin, But, I am prould to have Louie Ellison for my friend.