Elliouise Ray Little

Elliouise Little was born July 12, 1930, and passed away October 7, 2019 at the age of 89. She was born in Derby, VA in one of the many mining communities in Southwestern VA. Elliouise was the 7th child out of 8 children. There were 4 boys and 4 girls.

When Elliouise was in the 5th grade the family moved to “town”, Big Stone Gap, VA. She loved school and never wanted to miss a day, in fact, in eighth grade, she had the mumps in only one side and she kept a blouse or sweater close to that area and went to school, pain and all. She won a Daughters of the American Revolution medal for an essay on Americanism. She loved basketball and lettered 3 years in high school and also played basketball in college. She always did her best in school and said she was surprised when her high school principal called her for a conference and announced that she was the Valedictorian. She wrote her 5-minute speech and practiced to mom every night. Elliouise said her mom knew the speech as well as she did. She was given an academic scholarship for complete college education at Radford University in Radford, VA.

Elliouise made lifelong friends. Many of whom she still called and visited. Her special roommate just died a year ago. At her last class reunion she got an award for coming from Texas, the farthest distance from home. She said she was just about the only one with white hair. Someone asked what color she had on her hair and she replied, “life”. The dark haired friends said their colors came from bottles. In college, her nick name was “Sunshine” or “Elo”.

During summers she and friends worked on the beach in Nags Head, NC. The girls had a gas oven to explode, as they were used to electric appliances.

While teaching in Norfolk, VA she met “The Marine”, Tom Little, on a blind date. To make a story short, the two were married and later moved to Texas. He was from Denison. They were married at University Park Methodist Church. Tom was the love of her life. After 9 years of wedded bliss they welcomed, a son, Gentry and later welcomed their two grandchildren, Katie and Sam and they could not have loved them more.

She loved his family. She had to be a “good person” because there were so many ministers and later 3 Methodist Bishops in the family.

Elliouise taught 42 years in Dallas ISD. She stayed with the 3rd grade, in the same building, John Quincy Adams. She had several principals, liking all of them, but Dr. Paul Riddles was top of the list. She loved her students and saw a lot of them in various places. The students whom she saw told her she hadn’t changed. She said “Did I really look like this when I was your teacher in 3rd grade?” one of her 3rd graders told Elliouise that she had given her the best gift of life, the ability to read and to love to read.

Tom and Elliouise came to the Harmony Class at White Rock United Methodist Church in 1964. They have met and loved their family of Sunday school friends for many years.

Tom died in 2012 after 58 years of marriage. Elliouise is survived by her loving family: son, Gentry Little; grandchildren, Katie Peterson and Sam Little; great-grandson, Brodie Peterson; nephew Earl Ray and great niece, Yolanda Ratliff and family; great-nephew, Mike Ray and family; niece, Carolyn Campsey and family; and first cousin, Rev. Charles Crutchfield.

The family requests that guests wear business attire only.