Nolena Holly Elliott

Jan. 5, 1929 - Apr. 23, 2013 Nolena (Holly) Compton Elliott, of Statesville, danced her way into Heaven on Tuesday, April 23, 2013 at Iredell Memorial Hospital following a year of declining health. She was born in Iredell County on January 5, 1929 to the late Thomas Blaine Compton and Neva Lippard Compton. She was also preceded in death by her husband, Hoyte A. Elliott, in 1992. After retiring from J. C. Penney Distribution Center (41 years), she later enjoyed working on Tuesdays at the Statesville Auto Auction as the "popcorn" lady. On occasions, she would help her sister, Jo, with "packing" houses thru Sells Moving and Storage. She was so proud to be a part of the above. It gave her a chance to meet new people and make new friends. Traveling with her family always brought home fun stories of their many adventures. She was 75 years old when she went white water rafting for the first time on the Snake River in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. To say she loved every second of that adventure was an understatement. Her grandchildren and great grandchildren were her pride and joy. One of the major highlights of her life was seeing her first great grandchild, Lily, being born. She was a frequent visitor to the public library and also learned to use her daughter’s Kindle. To quote Thomas Jefferson, she could not live without books and shared her love for reading with her family and friends. While she was in town, she felt she might as well shop! Until her declining health, she would literally "shop 'til you drop" and did so with a flair all her own. She was truly the queen for finding bargains. She had a huge flower garden she tended herself until a year ago when declining health would no longer let her tend her special place. Watching the blooms unfold brought many smiles to her face and, as usual, she shared this joy with others. Her love of life and funny stories will live on. She was definitely "one-of-a-kind" and will be sorely missed by all. She is survived by her son, Eddie Elliott and his wife, Donna, of Statesville; daughter, Vicki Elliott Reep and her husband, Blake, also of Statesville; grandchildren, Allison Reep (Mickey) Jordan, Ginger Reep (Philip) Keever, Maddie Elliott, Garrett Elliott and Luke Elliott; great-grandchildren, Lily and Lane Jordan and Natalie Keever; and sister, Jo Sells, of Statesville. In addition to her parents and husband, she was also preceded in death by sisters, Ethel Combs, Mary Coates, Alda Hicks, Louise Barker and Mona Tyson; brothers, Robert, Thomas, Ralph and Johnny Compton; and an infant brother, Paul, who died at birth. A visitation for family and friends will be held at Troutman Funeral Home on Thursday, April 25, 2013 from 6:00 - 8:00 pm. Funeral services will be held on Friday, April 26, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. at Bethel Baptist Church with the Rev. Henry Cook officiating. Interment will immediately follow in the church cemetery. Pallbearers for the funeral service will be Garrett Elliott, Luke Elliott, Mickey Jordan, Philip Keever, John Williams and Hack Sells. Donations may be made to Samaritan’s Purse, P. O. Box 3000, Boone, NC 28607-3000, Sjé