Elsie Lucille Wilson

On December 18, 2021, Elsie Hott Wilson, at age 84, finished the race, having kept the faith, and stepped into the arms of her Savior. Awaiting her was the love of her life and husband of 52 years, Charles J. Wilson, who proceeded her in 2008. They met on the school bus while attending Valley View TX Junior High School. They married January 29, 1956, at the home of her sister Esta Ashcraft near Sanger, Texas. Elsie loved, supported, and cared for Charles throughout their happy lives together, including his last few years as Parkinson’s Disease slowly increased his reliance on her. The love she had for him always showed through, and doctors and support caregivers marveled at the excellent care she provided, right to the end of his days on Earth.
Elsie received her Bachelors of Science degree from Texas Tech University, and became a math educator. After the birth of her children, she devoted herself to caring for her family, ensuring a loving, welcoming, and creative home. Truly Christ-centered, Elsie and Charles were also very active in churches where they lived – First Baptist Church of Texas City, TX, First Baptist Church of Silver City, NM, and Birchman Baptist Church in Fort Worth, TX. True to her servant’s heart, Elsie was a part of Charles’ ministry as a deacon, and as Sunday School teachers for college students, and later, single adults. She frequently assisted in various projects of the SBC Women’s Missionary Union (WMU), including leading Girls in Action (GAs), and regularly taught a Vacation Bible School class for many years. (For VBS, she was known for presenting “foods that Jesus ate” to her class, allowing the kids a taste of foods like honeycomb, olives, figs, and goat cheese.) Elsie also spearheaded a couple of unusual ministries: a puppet ministry in Silver City, and maintaining a “closet of resources”, filled with materials useful for craft projects, and relied on by Sunday School and VBS teachers for years.
When her children were in high school, Elsie was offered an opportunity to become the librarian at a public elementary school in Silver City, NM. She discovered that she loved introducing children to books, as well as the many other tasks in a library, and excelled at the work. After Elsie and Charles moved to Fort Worth for a job in his corporate headquarters, she was able to utilize her skills in the library of their church, gladly tackling a variety of duties as part of the team there. When Charles was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, amongst other roles for a local support group, she volunteered to be the librarian, maintaining a collection of useful books, articles, videos, and other resources for both newly-diagnosed and long-time members.
Elsie was beloved by her children and their spouses, Chuck & Diane Wilson of Springfield MO and Gayle & Paul Patterson of Sale Creek TN, as well as her “daughter of the heart” Mary Lou Estes and her husband Delton Estes of Ruidoso NM. She was the proud grandmother of Daniel Patterson, Andrew Patterson, Hannah Patterson, Kya Wilson, and Kirsten Wilson, as well as proud “grandmother of the heart” of Joe Moore and his wife Julie, along with their children Ty, Carly, Ethan, & Parker. Elsie was the 5th child of Otis and Dora Hott of Prairie Grove, TX; three of her sisters (and two of their spouses) survive her: Dr. Janie Humphries, Janice & Jim Taylor, and Bobbye & Jim Woody. Her sisters-in-law Carol Hogue, Linda Griffin, and Fannette Lindsey also survive her. Elsie dearly loved her large extended family of siblings, and nieces & nephews (of three generations!). She continued to fellowship often with a large number of Charles’ family, as well.
Visitation will be 4:00 – 6:00 PM, on Tuesday, December 28 at Thompson, Harveson, & Cole Funeral Home (4350 River Oaks Dr., Ft. Worth, TX). Another short visitation will be Wednesday, December 29 at 10:00 AM, followed by a service at 11:00 AM at Birchman Baptist Church (9100 N Normandale St., Ft. Worth, TX); a short graveside service will be held at 2:30 PM at New Hope Cemetery in Valley View, TX.
Memorial donations may be made to the Southern Baptist Convention North American Mission Board ( https://www.namb.net/give/ ) or the Southern Baptist Convention International Mission Board ( https://www.imb.org/generosity/give-now/ ).
The family was cared for by Vanderwall Funeral Home in Dayton, TN.