Obituary

Funeral services for Elta “Eckie” Stroud, 85, of Portales will be held at 10:00 AM, Wed., Dec. 21, 2022 at the Emmanuel Baptist Church with her brother, Rev. Johnny Dowell officiating.  Burial will follow in the Rest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery with Koby Smith, Clay Smith, Kyler Smith, Kenny Smith, Rodney Dowell and Billy Stockton serving as pallbearers.  All of her family members and friends as well as her former co-workers will serve as honorary pallbearers.

Elta Marie Stroud, known to nearly everyone as “Eckie,” was born April 15, 1937 in Merkel, TX to the home of Lola Marie (Davis) and Elton Nathan Dowell, and died on the evening of Dec. 15, 2022 in Albuquerque.  The family moved to Hobbs, NM when Eckie was very young.  She graduated from Hobbs High School in 1955.  She was named “Most Beautiful” and “Miss Hobbs High School,” and was a member of Theta Rose.  Eckie went on to study at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces.  For a short time she was employed at SIC Finance.  On July 4, 1959, she was married to Jerry Stroud.  They made their home in Lovington until after their daughter, Kerri was born, and then relocated to Clovis.  In 1964, the family moved to Portales, and Eckie soon went to work as the receptionist at the Roosevelt County Electric Co-op.  In the mid 1990’s she retired after working there 29 years.

Eckie was a devout Christian.  She was a very capable and creative lady.  She enjoyed working in her yard, arranging flowers and restoring and repurposing antiques.  She had even designed and built a very high tech back yard Bar-B-Q.  Eckie loved to be with her family and caring for her grandsons.

She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Kerri Sue and Kenny Smith of Portales; three grandsons, Koby Smith, Clay Smith and Kyler and Morgan Smith; and a brother, Johnny Dowell.  She was preceded in death by her parents, a brother, Audis Dowell, a sister, Marvel Thomason, an infant daughter, Gina Marie Stroud, a grandson, Clinton Smith and by her beloved husband, Jerry who died Aug. 30, 1992.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Elta Marie (Dowell) “Eckie” Stroud, please visit our floral store.