Helen Claire McEachern Elliott sat in Pizza Inn Monday during lunch with her friends wondering who the Modern Woodmen of the World would name as its Hometown Hero. Unbeknownst to her, she was this year’s honoree.
Many of Elliott’s family, friends, and Woodmen of the World members gathered together to honor the woman some deem as an angel to them. Stories were shared by her brother and sister-in-law, Bob and Lucy McEachern; Pastor Phil McRae of Shongalo Presbyterian Church; and friend Wanda Cook.
Elliott sat in awe, surprised by all of the love that was being shown to her, wiping away tears as so many people spoke so highly of her.
Elliott, 87, who worked as a teacher and for the superintendent for the Carroll County School District and later as a deputy clerk for Carroll County, can’t get away from her teaching roots. Lucy McEachern said Elliott would make flash cards and teach them math, and help them learn the books of the bible.
“My daughter jokes that she now knows how to spell Zacharias,” Lucy said.
She said her sister-in-law is always doing something in the community, armed with a camera in her hand ready to take pictures.
But, they didn’t have a recent picture of Elliot.
“We joke that if she’s ever kidnapped in Vaiden, we’d need a recent picture of her.”
McRae called Elliott a humble Christian lady and a true disciple of Christ.
“She’s willing to learn as much as she can about God.” He said she’s an avid note taker and writes down everything the pastor says. “Except during morning service, she doesn’t have her table in there. She’s done it for all of her pastors. She can take what’s she’s written and put it into a book.”
He said Elliott is the church’s historian and called her a “treasure trove” of knowledge.
“She knows relationships, families and how everyone is connected. I tell my wife if Helen Claire doesn’t know it then no one knows it.”
Elliott still remains active in the church and in the community, including helping her sister-in-law with arts and crafts for the children to decorating the church’s bulletin board.
“If there’s a member in the paper, she takes it and places it on the bulletin board,” McRae said. “Now, she can place herself on the bulletin board.”
McRae named only a few of the community activities that Elliott is still active in. “And those are all the ones that she told me about, I know she’s active in more.”
Her friend, Wanda Cook said Elliott still takes people to the doctor and will even drive them to Oxford.
“I don’t even drive in Oxford,” she said.
Many told of how Elliott is nurturing by nature and will take care of anyone who needs her help.
“She gets their mail for them, or sometimes she’ll just call and check on them, just to say ‘hi,’” McRae said.
Former Vaiden Baptist Church pastor Leon Holly said his wife, Geneva, nominated Elliott for the Hometown Hero award and said she was so deserving of it.
Elliott said she was really surprised when she learned it was her. She said she had no idea that so many people did this for her.
“It’s a blessing to have this many people care about you,” Elliot said.
