From Tales & Trails of Bailey County, the First 70 Years

Taylor Publishing Company, Dallas, Texas-1988

Harmon Hill Elliott was born December 5, 1916, in Vinson, Harmon County, Oklahoma. His parents were John Franklin Elliott and Doshia Hill Elliott. Harmon graduated from Wellington (Texas) High School with the Class of 1935.

Claudine (Melton) Elliott was born in Collingsworth County, Texas, March 21, 1924. Her parents were Freeman Harvey Melton and Sudie (Stephens) Melton.

Harmon and Claudine were married September 27, 1945. They have two children: Judy Ann, born February 19, 1948, and John Freeman, born July 14, 1950.

They have lived in Wellington, Memphis, Littlefield, and Tulia moving to Muleshoe in 1959. Harmon always said anytime he got a better job offer to move to another town, Claudine would always be willing to move, saying she had found there were good people everywhere. They both admitted when they moved to Muleshoe they knew it was here they wanted to raise their children, because it had the best people ever.

Harmon was Vice President and Director of the First National Bank in Muleshoe from 1959 to 1983 when he retired. During these years, Harmon had the honor of unveiling the Mule for its first showing as our National Monument to the Mules. The town was full of thousands of people that day. Harmon has received the Outstanding Citizen Award from the Jaycees and received the Outstanding Service Award to the Community from the Chamber of Commerce in the years 1963 and 1965. His fellow Rotarians gave him their highest honor, the Paul Harris Fellow Award, in 1983. He headed the committee for the building of the Migrant Labor Housing and the Senior Citizen Housing Project for our Community. He was honored by the Board of Directors of the Senior Citizen Complex by having the Complex named "The Harmon Elliot Senior Citizen Complex." This was one of the highest honors and biggest thrills of his lifetime.

Claudine remains active in the community with her friends. She is a member of the Muleshoe Country Club Women's Association where she enjoys playing golf.

Our years as a family have been filled with much love and happiness. We have loved every day of the years we have shared together.

Judy and John Freeman were very active in all school activities. We always said they had spastic arms that automatically went up when volunteering parents for jobs in their school, but we were proud to be included.

Our church, First Baptist Church, has always been very important to us.

Judy Ann Elliott graduated from Muleshoe High School and attended Texas Tech University. She has two daughters, Jenifer Elise Johnson, seventeen years of age, and Jill Denise Johnson, sixteen years of age. Judy Johnson is Vice President and Chief Operating Officer and Director of the Western Bank—Westwood, in Houston, Texas. Judy, Jennifer, and Jill are members of the First Baptist Church in Houston.

John Freeman Elliott graduated from Muleshoe High School. He received his B. A. Degree from Texas Tech University in 1973. He is a graduate of the Southwest Graduate School of Banking at Southern Methodist University. He married Nancy Kimbrough, August 16, 1975. Nancy has been one of the best things that ever happened to our family and we love her dearly. John Freeman and Nancy have two daughters, Averi Alicia, seven years old and Curri Rebecca, five years old. A new baby is expected to join their family in May, 1987. John Freeman is Executive Vice President and Director of the Texas Commerce Bank in Lubbock, Texas. He and Nancy are members of the First Christian Church in Lubbock, where John Freeman is a Deacon.

We have laughed and cried with our friends through happy times and sad time, but always our friends have been there.

Muleshoe, Texas, has been good to us. We hope we have served it in some way. (Story submitted by Claudine (Melton) Elliott)