WILMA ROSALIE (SMITH) ELLIOTT WAS BORN ON OCTOBER 20TH 1926 IN EUFAULA OKLAHOMA TO WILLIE AND ROSA (MURPHY) SMITH. IN 1940 HER ONLY SIBLING, DOLORES SUE (SMITH) PORTER WAS BORN WHILE THEY WERE LIVING IN BUTLER OKLAHOMA. HER FATHER WAS A SHARE CROPPER AND HER MOTHER WAS A HOMEMAKER IN OKLAHOMA BUT IN 1942 THEY MOVED TO LONG BEACH CALIFORNIA WHERE WILLIE WORKED AT THE LONG BEACH SHIP YARD BUILDING MILITARY SHIPS FOR THE WAR EFFORT.
SHORTLY THEREAFTER WILMA MET JAMES HOYT ELLIOTT, KNOWN TO ALL THE FAMILY AND FRIENDS AS “SHORTY”. SHORTY WAS A SOLDIER IN THE ARMY AND WAS STATIONED AT FORT MAC ARTHUR IN SAN PEDRO CALIFORNIA. WILMA SPENT SOME TIME WORKING IN THE BASE “PX” STORE AT FORT MAC ARTHUR DURING THE WAR AND IN NOVEMBER OF 1943 SHORTY AND WILMA WERE MARRIED.
AFTER THE WAR WILMA AND SHORTY MOVED TO THE PORTERVILLE AREA BRIELY AND THEN BY 1947 TO THE FRESNO AREA WHERE SHORTY STARTED WORKING IN THE MILK PRODUCTION INDUSTRY. IN 1953 THEIR FIRST CHILD BARBARA WAS BORN AND IN 1956 THEIR SON TIM WAS BORN.
IN AUGUST OF 1968 THE FAMILY OF FOUR MOVED TO THEIR HOUSE ON KERCKHOFF WHICH WILMA ALWAYS CONSIDER HER DREAM HOME. IT WAS A FIXER UPPER SO WHILE SHORTY WORKED AT THE CHALLENGE CREAM AND BUTTER ASSOCIATION, WILMA STAYED HOME AND MANAGED THE HOUSEHOLD, INCLUDING PAINTING AND WALLPAPERING THE ENTIRE INTERIOR OF THE HOUSE HERSELF AND COORDINATED THE ENTIRE REMODEL HERSELF. WILMA AND SHORTY LIVED THERE TOGETHER UNTIL SHORTY PASSED AWAY IN OCTOBER OF 2008.
WILMA STAYED BY HERSELF PROUDLY AND INDEPENDENTLY IN HER HOME ON KERCKHOFF UNTIL HER HEALTH NEEDS FORCED HER TO MOVE TO ASSISTED LIVING AT CARMEL VILLAGE IN CLOVIS IN AUGUST OF 2016. MOST OF YOU PROBABLY REMEMBER ATTENDING AT LEAST ONE IF NOT ALL OF HER ANNUAL CHRISTMAS EVE EVENTS, SOMETHING SHE LOOKED FORWARD TO FROM ONE YEAR TO THE NEXT AND EVEN CARRIED ON EVERY YEAR WHILE SHE WAS LIVING IN HER APARTMENT AT CARMEL VILLAGE.
WILMA WAS VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE LIVED IN GOOD HEALTH FOR MOST OF HER LIFE BUT OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS SHE HAD TO SPEND A FEW NIGHTS IN THE HOSPITAL. ON AUGUST 12TH SHE FINALLY GOT TO GO HOME TO HER OWN APARTMENT AND SLEEP IN HER OWN BED BUT LATER THAT SAME EVENING, SHE PASSED AWAY PEACEFULLY FROM NATURAL CAUSES.
WILMA IS SURVIVED BY HER ONE SISTER, TWO CHILDREN, FIVE GRANDCHILDREN, ONE GREAT-GRANDSON AND NUMEROUS EXTENDED FAMILY AND FRIENDS.
A Graveside Service for Wilma will be held Monday, August 24, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. at Clovis Cemetery, 305 North Villa Avenue, Clovis, California 93612.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.boicefuneralhome.com for the Elliott family.
