Elizabeth Hittson

Rancher, community leader, wife to Jack Homer Hittson (deceased 2009), mother to four, grandmother to 11, and great-grandmother to six, “Liz” left her mark on her adopted state of Texas.

Elizabeth was born in Harlowton, MT on November 14, 1920, to Leo Weltzin, a Norwegian wheat farmer, and Edith McInnis Weltzin, an English schoolmarm. Her first home was a prairie dugout with dirt floors and sod bricks carved into the hillside of the Montana grassland. Wheat prices collapsed in 1921 forcing the young family off the prairie and onto Chicago where Leo plied his farming skills in the construction trade, and Edith became a Chicago Public School teacher.

With the beginning of WWII, Elizabeth joined the U. S. Navy WAVES as her two brothers Charles Malcolm Weltzin (deceased 2010) and Ralph Frederick Weltzin (deceased 2011) joined the U. S. Army serving respectively in the South Pacific and Northern European fronts. Serving in the WAVES from 1944-1946, Elizabeth became a trainer and battalion leader stationed in New York City.

The name Weltzin means world traveler in Norwegian, and Elizabeth lived up to its meaning. At the close of the War, she was ready to see the world and took a school teaching position in the Panama Canal Zone. By fate, she met a young dentist, Jack Hittson, D.D.S., who with his G. I. benefits had recently left the U. S. Navy to return to school and then join a dental practice in the Canal Zone. Jack was a fifth-generation Texan from a prominent pioneer ranch family of Palo Pinto County. After a brief courtship, the two married in 1950 and moved to the U. S. Territory of Alaska to work in the U. S. Public Health Service serving Alaska Natives. Together, they served three years aboard the M/V Health, a floating marine hospital clinic that visited native Alaskan villages along the central Alaskan shore between Dillingham and Sitka, Alaska.

After Jack served a second tour of duty in the U.S. Army from 1954-1956 in Orléans, France, the couple headed to Garland, Texas where Jack established one of the first orthodontic practices in North Texas and they made their home. By 1960 and four children later, Elizabeth was happily involved in public school activities, book club, local politics, Mensa International, Boy Scouts, Camp Fire Girls, and lay-leadership in the First Presbyterian Church of Garland. A PTA president many times over, a frequent local poll worker, and the host to many international students from SMU, Elizabeth also found time to partner with Jack in ranching in Rockwall County while raising Black Angus cattle.

Their partnership lasted for 59 years until February 2009 when Jack died of cancer. In 2016 Elizabeth left their beloved ranch and moved into town where she resided at Rockridge Assisted Living in Rockwall until 2020 and then in Dallas at Presbyterian Village North until her passing.

Elizabeth is survived by her four children: Carol Hittson Kent, Ed. D. of Dallas and husband David Kent; Jeffery R. Hittson, M.D. of Anchorage, AK; Suzanne L. Hittson, D.D.S. of Rockwall and husband Kevin Smith; William J. Hittson, M.D. of Dallas and husband Mark Crosslin. Her grandchildren include: Children of Carol and David Kent: John Kent of Brussels, Belgium and wife Kelly; Meredith Kent of Dallas; Robert Kent of Dallas and wife Rachel. Children of Jeffery and Mary Pacheco: Amanda Hittson of California and husband Vincent Spader; Terra Hittson of New Mexico and wife Ali Harris; Anne Hittson of New Mexico and her husband Vakar Ahmed; and Finn Hittson of Alaska. Children of Suzanne and Kevin Smith: Lauren Hittson-Smith of Dallas; Rachal Hittson-Smith of Fort Worth; and Jack Hittson-Smith of Rockwall. Daughter of William and Katherine Ellis: Hannah Hittson of Denison. Her great grandchildren include Baker Hittson Kent, Brooks Clem Kent, Dorothy Louise Kent, Madeleine Bryan Kent, Danielle Hittson, and Jesse Harris. Her surviving sisters-in-law are Georgia Weltzin of Garland and Norma Weltzin of Illinois. She has many nieces and nephews from her Weltzin and Hittson families located across North Texas, Wisconsin, and New York including Kathleen Pickowitz, Cheryl Westbrook, Jennifer Weltzin, Charles Weltzin, Douglas Weltzin, Karin Frederick, Richard Weltzin, Tom Million, and Hallie Million.

Elizabeth’s family wishes to gratefully acknowledge the loving care that she received from her caregivers, nurses, doctors, and staff at Presbyterian Village North.

Born the year that women first gained the right to vote, she made sure that she cast her ballot in honor of all the women before her who did not have this right. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that those who knew and loved Elizabeth cast their ballots in support of democratic values and social justice.

A celebration of Elizabeth’s life and a reception will be held on Saturday, July 30, at 11:00 AM at Sparkman Funeral Home located at 1029 South Greenville Avenue in Richardson followed by a private interment at the Historic Hittson Cemetery in Palo Pinto County.