Funeral services for Jimmy Elliott, 75, of Kress, TX will be at 2:00 PM, Sat., Nov. 4, 2017 at the Third and Kilgore Church of Christ with Carey Russell officiating, assisted by John Sharp. Burial will follow in the Mount Zion Cemetery with Randy Billingsley, Elmo Sorrells, Derrick Schacher, Brian Gore, David Kreidler, John Kreidler, Branden Billingsley and Steven Sorrells serving as pallbearers. Joe Middleton, Chuck Sharp and John Sharp, and his great-grandchildren, along with the members of IBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and Dr.’s Zorsky, Rossi, Stuart and Neel will serve as honorary pallbearers. The family will receive guests at the funeral home on Friday evening from 5 to 7 PM.
Jimmy Leon Elliott was born Oct. 19, 1942 in Portales to the home of Alene (Andes) and John Henry Elliott, and died Oct. 30, 2017 in Amarillo, TX. Jimmy grew up in Portales and graduated from Portales High School in 1960 where he had been active in track and played football. He went to work for the R.E.A. as a lineman, and continued to work as a lineman off and on for the next 50 years. In the mid 1980’s, he was forced to take a medical retirement from the Public Service Co. of New Mexico. As soon as he was able, he began doing contract work for various other companies. His work included the transformers at Hoover Dam and the electrical system at Love Field in Dallas, TX. Jimmy was very accomplished at his trade, and taught countless younger men in Barehanded classes and Climbing School.
On Sept. 21, 1961 in Portales, he was married to Betty Sue Chambers. They celebrated 56 years of marriage before his death. He was a member of the Church of Christ, and was baptized in 1954, at the age of 12. Jimmy was a devoted husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. Family was always very important in his life. As a young man he did stock car racing, but throughout his life he loved to hunt and fish and boat.
He is survived by his wife, Betty of their home in Kress, TX; two daughters and sons-in-law, Gay and Elmo Sorrells of Kress, TX and Jill and Randy Billingsley of Amarillo, TX; seven grandchildren, Tausha (Derrick) Schacher, Nicole (Brian) Gore, Shaye (Ty) Grimsley, Steven Sorrells and his fiancé, Shelby Smith, Brianna Mercer, Branden Billingsley and Kristi Powell; ten great-grandchildren, Dayson and Daniel Schacher, Tate, Seth, Sage and Trey Gore, Kolton and Kelsi Grimsley, Kaison Powell and Kenzlee Mercer; two brothers, John Wayne (Clara Belle) Elliott of Portales and Roger Elliott of Logan, NM; and a sister, Frances (Brian) Kreidler of Vail, AZ. He was preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Reva Sharp.
