Reba Casstevens Elliott

Reba Casstevens Elliott, 84, died Wednesday, 5/31/23. She was born August 17, 1938, to Zemmie “Bill” and Mozelle Royal Casstevens, growing up on a tobacco farm in the Center Road community of Yadkin County.

Her parents devoted themselves to the care of her older brother Bobby, profoundly handicapped at birth, leaving Reba and her younger brother Benjamin to take care of themselves away from their farm. She hoed tobacco with her mother and helped string while her dad passed the tobacco up to Ben straddling the rafters in the curing barn.

She graduated from Boonville High School playing guard on a winning basketball team, then graduated a year later from Women’s College in Greensboro with a degree in the secretarial arts. She put her shorthand and typing to work in the research department at Reynolds Tobacco Co. and later organized tours at Whitaker Park.

She was 22. Donald “Nick” Elliott, home from the Navy, was working at the Winston-Salem Journal. It wasn’t love at first sight but it was close. Reba moved to Stokes County with her family in 1970 ready to join in. Not only join in but do the work. She was president of the Stokes County Arts Council, the King Women's Club, the King Resource Network, sang in the choir at King Moravian Church and was a chairman of the church board of trustees.

Civic work was her thing. The Stokes County Democratic Party took notice. She was encouraged and later discouraged. The challenge was on. She won two terms as County Commissioner before the sun set on the county’s Democrats. She owned the Sweet Tooth Candy Shop and later was Area Wide Director at Cancer Services in Winston-Salem.

Trips to the beach and mountains, camping with husband and grandchildren, post-Thanksgivings in Charleston with daughter Becky, and bicycling on the New River Trail were part of a long and happy retirement. Her husband of 63 years survives; along with their son, Joel Casstevens Elliott; daughter, Rebecca Elliott Wood (Daniel); grandsons Jackson Wood and Davis Wood; sister-in-law, Fairlin Casstevens, brother-in-law, Charles Elliott (deceased); two nephews, David Elliott and Douglas Elliott (deceased); and three nieces, Debbie Elliott Sanders, Donna Elliott Nolan and Trista Casstevens Brown.

A memorial service will be held 3 pm, Sunday, 6/11/23, at King Moravian Church. Reba will be buried in God's Acre at the church. Her family would appreciate memorials being made to the King Moravian Church building fund.