Eleanor Hitt

On February 11, 2022, Lola Eleanor Rosson Hitt passed quietly in her sleep in the early hours of the morning after fully living her ninety-four years. She is preceded in death by her husband of forty-six years, Marion Ray Hitt, her parents John R. & Lola Floyd Rosson, her daughter Mary Ann Hitt, and her son Author Floyd Hitt. She is survived by her son, Marvin F. Hitt (Jeannetta) and grandson James Rosson Hitt of Nunnelly, TN.

Eleanor was born in Nashville, TN to John R. & Lola F. Rosson in December of 1927. She lived on a chicken farm off Lickton Pike where they also raised cows, hogs, and grew tobacco and grapes. Eleanor could tell you many stories about angry chickens, chicken brooders, snakes in the attic, drunken boarders, gossipy neighbors, burning barns, cave house coolers, and so much more. She would happily share the tales again and again. She started taking piano lessons in 1939 on a secondhand piano her mother got her. She was homeschooled by her mother until the fourth grade when she attended public school. She made her profession of faith in her senior year of high school and loved the Lord all her life. She graduated from Goodlettsville High School in 1945 and went on to attended Peabody College for Teachers, received a Bachelor of Arts degree as a teacher with a minor in Home Economics in 1949. While she was in college the Rosson family moved to the Rock House on Dickerson Pike in Goodlettsville and began attending First Baptist Church Goodlettsville. At Peabody she made several lifelong friends that still got together for lunch once a month until these dear ladies couldn’t drive any longer. After college she began substitute teaching and was then hired by the Old Nashville City School System which later became Metro School System. She always felt she was hired for knowing the new music of the time, the latest song “Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer” which she happily taught to her students.

In May of 1955, Marion Hitt wrote Eleanor a letter asking her on a date. His aunts had learned of Eleanor from attending her dad’s Sunday school class and told Marion about her. Marrying was not something Eleanor’s mother wanted for her, so when Eleanor decided to marry in October of 1955, she and Marion Hitt eloped in a small church in Springfield, TN with some help from friends. Afterward, they told her mother about it and that was that. Eleanor and Marion were happily married for forty-six years before Marion passed in 2002. They had two children that did not survive before they had Marvin in 1964. Eleanor continued teaching as Marion worked for Aladdin Industries. Marion built Eleanor a house in Madison, TN in 1956 and then in 1961 he built their mid-century home in Goodlettsville from a floor plan Eleanor picked out of a magazine. They attended First Baptist Church of Goodlettsville most of their married lives and were active members. Eleanor went on to get her master’s degree from the University of Northern Colorado through a program at Trevecca Nazarene College in Instruction and Curriculum. She was selected as part of the Master Teacher Program for the State of TN. In the 50’s, during integration, her classroom was bombed and still had a crack in it all the years she taught in it. The last twenty years of her teaching career were at Hattie Cotton Elementary School. She always taught music and directed plays with her students, often sewing many of their costumes and sometimes clothes. Eleanor retired from elementary teaching in 1989.

Eleanor sang in the church choir since she was in the eighth grade and then the senior adult choir until about 2018. Eleanor was an avid painter, loved puzzles, always had a crossword in hand, and was a ferocious reader. She loved to play the piano, the ukulele, and the autoharp and she loved cats. She also could do an entertaining Minnie Pearl impersonation, Mary Jane’s, straw hat, price tag, and all, ready or not. She could also get a bit star struck and never missed an opportunity to tell a police officer or soldier how much she appreciated their service. She had some unusual sayings. Eleanor loved her family and friends. As an only child she spent lots of time with your cousins. She was always up to go and do whatever the family was up to from Christmas bus rides to see Christmas lights to spur of the moment cross country trips. She loved the adventure and will be missed.

Visitation is scheduled for 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm on Monday, February 14, 2022, at Forest Lawn Funeral Home and Memorial Gardens in Goodlettsville, TN. Service will follow at 2:00 pm lead by Pastor Lyle Larson with a brief graveside service after. A memorial service is scheduled for Sunday, February 27, 2022 at 2:00 pm at the Bon Aqua United Methodist Church, 10762 Church Rd., Bon Aqua, TN. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Helping Hands of Hickman County, 10515 Ligon Love Rd., Bon Aqua, TN 37098.

Her favorite hymn was “What a Friend We Have in Jesus”. Her favorite scripture is the first one she learned Psalm 23.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.ForestLawnFuneral-Goodlettsville.com for the Hitt family.