Ever the mother and caretaker of her family and friends, Eloice Lively Lewis went home to be with Jesus on January 4, 2022, after a long battle with cancer. She was faithfully cared for by her children at home until her death.
Eloice was born to Claude and Elsie Lively on November 4, 1934 in Stidham, Oklahoma. When she was 3 years old, after losing their farm in the “Dust Bowl,” her family made the long trek to Modesto, California, to find work and be among family who had preceded them.
Eloice grew up in Modesto among many aunts, uncles and cousins and graduated from Modesto High School in June of 1952. She soon moved to Jasper, Texas, where she met her husband, James Otis Lewis, Jr. During their 54 years of marriage, they raised 4 children and a nephew. Eloice and Jim lived in Longview, Texas, from the time they were married in 1955 until 1977 when they moved to Vilonia, Arkansas. They moved back into their family home in Longview in 1984. Some years after Jim’s passing, Eloice moved to Fort Worth to be near her children.
Eloice was a fierce woman – strong, passionate and at her best when she was helping other people. At a very young age she was given the responsibility to help raise her little brother and manage the household while her parents and older siblings worked. As an older teen, she managed household chores while also working in the fields or one of the many canneries in Modesto. She continued throughout her life to be a take-charge person. Eloice was a person who many sought out for physical, emotional and/or spiritual support. She was a “Super Mom” before it was a popular term. She sewed clothes for her children (her girls had the most beautiful Barbie clothes), shuttled them to various events and activities, took her family to church where she taught Sunday school, cooked, cleaned, and did yard work. She had an open-door policy for others and welcomed many into her home and treated them like family. She is still remembered fondly by many of the children she taught in Sunday School for 23 years at Mobberly Ave Church of Christ. Her unwavering faith and practical approach to life instilled a strong work ethic and a love for our heavenly father in her kids.
Once her last child left home, Eloice earned her real estate license and worked as a Realtor for a number of years. She was most interested and successful in real estate investments, starting in Arkansas with her first rental house and then several house flips and rental properties in Austin, in partnership with her husband Jim and daughter Denise. She was quite the savvy real-estate investor.
She was known for having an amazing memory, sharp wit, and broad intellect. She could tell stories and recall conversations in fine-detail going back to when she was a small child. She was an avid reader, not only of the Bible but also history. One of her favorite books was Love Is a Wild Assault by Elithe H. Kirkland, a historical novel about the East Texas area and the birth of the Republic of Texas.
Eloice loved people. She made friends easily wherever she was and developed quick, lasting bonds across many miles, many years and many technologies. Eloice was an avid learner and impressed her grandchildren with her ability to navigate the internet from her iPhone, doing research on whatever captured her interest.
Eloice loved the Lord. She was a student of the Bible, studied it every day and was always ready to discuss the things she learned from it. She was very passionate about her faith and its utmost importance in her life. Her strongest desire at the end of her life was for her children to be happy but most of all to have a strong relationship with God.
Eloice was preceded in death by her, husband James Otis Lewis, Jr. and her brothers Don Lively and Robert Lively and beloved dog Sport. She is survived by her children Loree Eubank, Jeri Lewis, Jim Lewis, and Denise Lewis, nephew Ron Phillips, “adopted” daughter Carol Laux, beloved fur-baby Stewart, sister Geri Phillips, sister-in-law Carol Lively, grandchildren Erin Hebert, James Lewis, Emileigh Lewis, Briana Collins and Joshua Lewis, great-grandchildren Nolan Lewis and Ryelynn Hebert and a host of nieces, nephews, other family and friends.
A Visitation at 10 am and Funeral Services at 11 am will be held Saturday January 15, 2022 at Lakeview Funeral Home, 5000 W. Harrison Rd Longview, TX 75604. Internment will follow at Lakeview Memorial Gardens.
Those who wish to remember Eloice in a special way may make gifts in her memory to: Arms of Hope https://armsofhope.org/donate Soaring Wings https://soaringwings.givingfuel.com/soaring-wings World Bible School https://wbs.salsalabs.org/general-giving/index.html
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