Elsie Watters

Elsie Irene Eckert Watters
Abilene

Elsie Irene Eckert Watters, 96, died January 5th, 2011. Services will be held Saturday, January 8th at 2:00 p.m. at Our Savior Lutheran Church with burial following in Elliott-Hamil Garden of Memories, directed by Elliott-Hamil Funeral Home, 5701 Hwy 277 South.
She was born in Katemcy, Mason County, Texas on October 1, 1914 to Alfred and Alpha Eckert. She graduated from Mason High School in 1931 and attended Texas Lutheran College in Seguin and received her degree from Southwest Texas College at San Marcos in 1935.
She taught in Saline and London schools and met and married Robert Lawrence Watters December 27, 1936. They were blessed with the birth of their daughter, Roberta in 1941. They ranched in Kimble County with his parents and then moved to their farm in McCulloch County in 1948 where she taught school in Richland Springs and Mercury. In 1953 they left the farm and she taught in Melvin and Mereta. In 1956, she and her family moved to San Angelo where she began teaching and completed her 35 year teaching career. She influenced the lives of many children, even buying their lunch and school supplies and providing many of her own work supplies.
In her retirement years in San Angelo, she was active in Calvary Lutheran Church making quilts for World Relief. In 1990 she and her husband moved to Abilene to be near their daughter. They celebrated their 66th wedding anniversary in 2002. She had been active in Retired Teachers Assn., AARP, Abilene Woman's Club and Our Savior Lutheran Church and contributed to many charities. Elsie, her husband and daughter all survived cancer. She cared for her daughter through a liver transplant. She was always busy and loved to cook, teach, help others and travel.
She is survived by her daughter, Roberta Ann Watters of Abilene; nieces, Jan and J.W. Schlee and Elaine and Jerome Hall; nephews, Norman and Marian Probst, Carl and Janis Eckert, Mike and Ann Watters, Larry and Lanka Watters and other nieces and nephews.
Elsie was preceded in death by her husband, parents, a brother, Elmer Eckert and a sister, Dorine Probst.
Memorials may be made to Community Foundation of Abilene, P O Box 1001, Abilene, TX 79604 for the Robert, Elsie and Roberta Watters Fund.
You may view and sign guestbook at www.elliott-hamil.com