Elliott Kate Kerzee Strickland Lyons passed away peacefully Tuesday, July 10, 2012, just three months short of her 100th birthday. Elliott was born October 10, 1912, the third of nine children of Will Kerzee and Lucy Kate Bozeman Kerzee, a pioneer family of Point Enterprise. As a child of The Depression, she learned early in life how to stretch a dollar and make something out of nothing. Life skills she developed on the farm served her well later in life and fueled her passion as a gardener. She became a bride later than most in that era. In 1942, Elliott married James William “Bill” Strickland, a veteran of World War I. They lived and worked in Coolidge, where he was the superintendent of the city water department. Later, they both worked for the Mexia State School. He was in buildings and plumbing maintenance and she helped manage the housekeeping department. After Bill’s death in 1952, Elliott married Buck Lyons, a barber, and the couple moved to Waco. There, he ran his own barber shop, while she worked as a beautician at Truman’s Beauty Shop, which at the time was owned by the cousin of President Harry Truman. Elliott was featured in a TV commercial to demonstrate hair styling. After her second husband died, Elliott retired and lived in Waco. After a lot of coaxing, she agreed to move to Fort Worth 17 years ago to share a home with her daughter and son-in-law, Elaine and Steve Brown. Elliott enjoyed spending time with family and was especially close to her sisters and brothers. She had a passion – and a green thumb – for growing roses and vegetables. She was a wonderful cook and seamstress, but also took delight in watching professional sports on TV, especially football and boxing. She was a longtime member of the Church of Christ. Survivors include: daughter, Elaine and her husband, Steve; sisters Carlene Holt of Point Enterprise, Flodell Gunn of Mexia, and Virginia Buttery of Bryan; granddaughters Cheryl Brown Hobbs and husband Keith Hobbs of Willow Grove, PA., and Deborah Brown of Boyd, TX.; grandson William Douglas Brown of Arlington, TX.; and a great-granddaughter. Elliott was preceded in death by her two beloved husbands, parents, sisters Lorena Kerzee and Willa D. Kerzee Holt, brothers Lloyd Kerzee, Wayne Kerzee, and Billy Kerzee, and granddaughter Diane Rene Brown. The family wishes to express their gratitude to Community Hospice of Fort Worth and personal assistants Sylvia, Brenda, and Pearle for the excellent and loving care they gave Elliott over the last year. Funeral services will be 11 am on Saturday, July 14, at Blair-Stubbs Chapel. Visitation is set for one hour before the funeral, with burial in the Point Enterprise Cemetery immediately after the service. Floral arrangements may be sent to Blair-Stubbs Funeral Home or memorial contributions may be made to Community Hospice of Fort Worth, 6100 Western Place, Suite 500, Fort Worth, Texas 76107.