Honey Grove, Texas, was the birthplace of Eloise Battle, the daughter of Clarence and Hilburn Louise Taylor Battle. After losing both parents at an early age, Eloise grew up in the rural farming community of Paris, Texas, with her maternal grandmother, Marie Taylor. Mrs. Taylor was an active member of her church and prayer group. Marie taught Eloise to read before she was of age to attend school and was insistent that she always use proper English. This proved beneficial when she later became the local spelling bee champion. Marie took Eloise on the train to participate in the regional spelling bee, but she misspelled a word in competition. When Marie became ill, Eloise went to live with Marie’s sister, Pluma Smith, who took her along when her family moved to Seattle, Washington.
In Seattle, Eloise had dreams of becoming a nurse. She enrolled at Garfield High School and participated in a training program at Providence Hospital to become a licensed vocational nurse. She loved helpIng others and could often be found volunteering for social organizations and events. At a paper drive for Bulldogs sports uniforms, Eloise encountered a handsome young man who helped bundle her stack of papers, and so began a romance that spanned seventy-one years. Eloise married Grover Cleveland McCoy on July 31, 1948, right after church, in Auntie Pluma’s house. Reverend Chappell officiated and joined the couple for a dinner of fried chicken, salmon croquettes, and peach cobbler. The couple settled in the Central Area and joined the congregation of First African Methodist Episcopal Church in Seattle.
“Ellie” and “Mac” raised a brood of five children - Louise Ann (deceased, George), Kenneth Wayne (Brenda), Ellis Kendall (Karen), Sharon Elizabeth (Charles), and Cheryl Ann (Curtis) - while balancing the obligations of work and service. Ellie found a job at the local library, was a riveter for Boeing, and even worked as a ward secretary at Virginia Mason Hospital, but left because there just wasn’t enough opportunity to work with people in need. When she became the pastor’s secretary and assistant office manager for FAME Church, Ellie found a satisfying role that endured for twenty-six years. She joined the Mary F. Handy Missionary Society and became an active member of the September Club, fundraising for the Annual Zodiac Tea. Eloise became a part of Toastmasters International Clubs and traveled to conventions to promote and perfect the art of public speaking. She was also a member of the Sunset Club.
To know Eloise McCoy is to know her gentle nature and warm sense of humor. She was an encourager, one who could help you find the silver lining in life struggles. Her ministry of simply sending out greeting cards to others touched many lives. Ellie was a wise counselor and a master teacher, leading by example, so that many of the gifts manifest in her life are now resident in her children. Each one has assumed leadership responsibilities in Christian and secular endeavors, which is a testament to the grace and power of God in the chosen vessel we call “Mom”. In her ministry of giving, Eloise was a faithful witness, a Proverbs 31 woman whose selfless sharing of life and resources truly prompts us to rise up and call her blessed. A woman of prayer and sensitive to the things of God, she prayed diligently for her family, for her church, and for those around her. Her wisdom and strength are a lasting heritage for those who were blessed to know and love her. We join - as four generations of descendants, a host of relatives, friends, and loved ones - in celebration of a life well-lived.
…August 14, 2019
Mom, we thank you for the life poured out on our behalf. Thank you for the unconditional love that nurtured our family. Thank you for teaching us about the One who held your hand for 89 years, and in Whose arms you now rest. Father, we are grateful for the amazing gift of God that is our wife and mother, our grandmother, our coworker, and our friend. We join with You in joyous declaration: “Well done, thou good and faithful servant…Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.” Eloise, forever and always, we love you.
Eloise C. Battle McCoy joined the heavenly cloud of witnesses on Wednesday August 14, 2019. She is now in the cherished company of her daughter Louise Darby and her grandson, Orlondo McCoy (Torah), who preceded her in death. She leaves behind to rejoice in a wealth of memories her sweetheart, Grover McCoy, a brother Wilbert“Sonny” Battle (Sarah) of Phoenix, AZ, two sons and two daughters, nine grandchildren, sixteen great-grandchildren, three great-great grandchildren, and a host of nephews, nieces, cousins, and dear friends.
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.18