Obituary of Joyce Petty Elliott

Services for Joyce Petty Elliott, 85, Kilgore, will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, July 15 in the Cottle-Pearson Funeral Home chapel, Overton, with Reverend Freeman Pierce officiating. Burial will be in the Overton City Cemetery. Joyce expired during the early morning hours on Saturday, July 12, 2014 following a valiant struggle with her illness over the past several years. She was born to A. E “Snooks” and Vera Ruth Petty on May 9, 1929 in Mildred, Navarro County, Texas. Joyce graduated from New London High School in 1947, attended Kilgore College one year and then graduated from East Texas State University with honors in 1950. After teaching two years at Gaston ISD she took a ten year sabbatical to nurture her two children. She completed her master’s degree and put her counseling studies to work for the next thirty years in Kilgore, Corpus Christi and Kingsville. She was preceded in death by her parents, a brother, Ed Petty, a sister, Rosalyn “Bo” Gillespie, a grandson, Justin Blanton, and a nephew. She is survived by her husband, Floyd Elliott of Kilgore; a son, David Elliott; a daughter and son-in-law, Susan and John Blanton; three grandsons, six great grandchildren, all of Leverett’s Chapel, a sister, Jerry Bates of Longview; and several nieces and nephews. The family sincerely thanks the wonderful friends at Legacy Hospice and Whispering Pines  Lodge for the loving care they gave our Joyce and her loved ones. The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 6:00 pm until 8:00 pm, Monday, July 14.