Helen Christine Elliott

Helen Christine Elliott

1921-2015

Elliott, Helen 3Helen Christine Lee Elliott, of Edmond, peacefully left her home on earth to begin a new journey with her Lord, on Wed., Feb. 4, 2015 at Bradford Village where she was recovering from pneumonia. She was born on Easter Sunday, April 3, 1921 in Oklahoma City at home which was 210 W. Noble next door to her father’s drug store and pharmacy, the second of four children born to her parents Gus Magafos, a Greek immigrant, and Bertie Ina Grisham, a young lady from AL.

Helen attended Oklahoma City public schools and started kindergarten at Washington Elementary at age 4 because all of the other children in the neighborhood were going to school and she wanted to go with them. She got to go to kindergarten for two years and loved every minute of school. From Washington Elementary she went to Roosevelt junior high school and graduated in 1939 from Central High School with perfect attendance from kindergarten through high school graduation. Following graduation she worked in her father’s business, Gus’s Barbeque at 401 S. Walker as one of the first carhops in the drive-in business. It was during this time that she met Jim Lee and they were married in 1941 and shortly thereafter he was drafted. From this union came a daughter, Linda Jo Lee.

Shortly after he returned from the war the couple divorced and Helen went to work for Powell Briscoe in the First National Building. She married a second time to O.C. Elliott a few years later and together they started remodeling mobile homes in their driveway at 804 SW 32nd. From this endeavor they went to opening mobile home lots and then to the manufacturing of Solitaire mobile homes. This union lasted for 33 years until his death in 1982. Helen loved to go to Las Vegas with O.C. and the family and enjoyed pulling the handles on the slot machines – often three at a time. In her later years she enjoyed scratches with daily car trips with her daughter to cash in her winnings, get some more! And stop by for her sonic coke. She enjoyed attending the vocal music programs and plays at Sequoyah Middle school and often remarked how talented the young people were at the school. She loved being with her family and never missed an occasion for celebrating their activities and successes. She also never missed Wheel of Fortune every night at 6:30! At age 83 she made her first trip across the ocean to England and France which she always remembered.

She was a sweet and loving mother, wonderful grandmother and a fun great-Yiayia to her six great-grandchildren.

She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Linda and Dr. Dean McElvany, stepson, Jerry & Helen Elliott, her two grandchildren and their spouses, Julie and Ronnie Witherspoon and Dr. Matthew and Juliette McElvany, six beautiful and fun great-grandchildren, Ell, Ava, Drew and Hadley Witherspoon and Charles and Isla McElvany as well as her favorite cousin and her spouse, Phil and Christine Stathis of Wichita, Kansas. She was preceded in death by her husband O.C. Elliott, stepson, Jimmie Elliott, parents, Gus Magafos and Bertie Ina Grisham, three brothers, Paul Magafos, John Magafos and Harry Magafos. A service celebrating her life will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, February 9, 2015 at the First Christian Church in Edmond with interment to follow at Fairlawn Cemetery in Oklahoma City where her family is buried. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that any memorials be sent to: St. George Greek Orthodox Church, 2101 NW 145th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73134 – memorial or the First Christian Church of Edmond, 201 E. Second Street, Edmond, OK 73034

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top