~~THE POSSE~~

Front Row: Brian Hightower, Ron Sharp, David Ellison, Damon Weaver
Back Row: Rusty Coleman, Jason Travis, Devon Cohorst, Dwain McGuire, Royce Rieke, Tobey Coleman, James Elliott

Tribute to James Elliott
As told by Jason Travis to Angie Stone
August 23, 2006

James started coming to school at Beckville when we were in the 5th grade. A couple of hair-raising adventures and close calls later, "The Posse" was officially formed.

It was me and James, Royce Rieke, Toby Coleman, Rusty Coleman, David Ellison. Devon Cohorst, Dwain McGuire, Ron Sharp, Damon Weaver, and Brian Hightower who we lost shortly after we graduated high school.

One of our earliest escapades was when a few of us were camping out at James' house. Now, his mom and dad's property backed up to some TUMCO land that was strictly off limits. "NO TRESPASSING" signs posted about every 6 feet. So naturally, -- that's where we headed. –

We snuck out there and found us a nice neat bunch of hay bales. ---- They weren't that neat after we played "King of the Haybale" for several hours.

On the way back to the campsite, we came up on a fertilizer buggy, probably with a big old, NO TRESPASSING sign on it too. Here goes James, "Hey, Let's ride it down this hill!" So James and some of the other guys climbed in it. Me and some of the others, who weren't quite as interested in going headfirst down a hill with NO steering and NO brakes, shoved it off. That buggy went rip-roaring down that hill with James hoopin' and hollerin' the whole way down. That's where the TUMCO employees would have found it the next day.

We managed to grow up some in the next few years and we got to that age where we were always needing cash. Mr. Phelix Martin put me and James to work one Saturday, hauling watermelons. We weren't old enough to drive yet, probably around 15 years old. We hauled those watermelons up out of the field and loaded them up in his truck. We filled it up and Mr. Phelix drove us over to Marshall, Texas to drop 'em off. We'd only been working about half a day but James conned Mr. Phelix into buying us some wine coolers. We WERE that close to the beer store after all. We proceeded to get ourselves DRUNK on the drive back home. Old Mr. Phelix wasn't done with us though, he'd hired us for the day and he made us get back out in that field to load up more watermelons. We got SO SICK.

James sure had a knack for convincing people to do things against their better judgment. He worked hard too. He worked as hard as I did anyway.

A year or two later, me and James were working at "The Bearcat" for my mom. We'd work till closing time and then load up in my Jeep and head out to the deer camp. We put many a mile on that Jeep! We were always the first ones down there - spent just about every Friday and Saturday night at the deer camp. We had these old couches we used to line up and have BIG wrestling matches. Dwain says me and James were the two toughest ones.

I remember one time we were all out at the deer camp, probably about 16 or 17 years old. We were all just sitting on the fence probably bragging about something we didn't really do. Mr. Tommy Gene Coleman comes out there. Now he had himself a 700 pound bull yearling that needed to be castrated. Tommy Gene looked at us boys and told us to "Get him down."

Now we sat there for a minute and had to think about it. That was a 700 pound bull after all. Next thing we know, James has done bailed off on top of his head, -- the bull, not Tommy Gene. He's got that bull in a headlock and is working him REAL good. We kind of just sat there and let James work all the fight out of him. We EVENTUALLY got down there to give him a hand.

That's who James was. Fearless. He wasn't showing out or nothing, that's just who he was. He saw the possibility for adventure and fun, long before he weighed out the risk. He was never scared of anything. That's just who he was.

Dependable too. You know James was always there for me when I needed him. He came all the way to North Carolina to work with me and helped me out. He came out to work with me in Colorado where we worked laying phone cables and brought his brother too. It was me, James and Charlie.

Now our boss had just gone and bought himself a brand new motorcycle and brought it out to the jobsite to show it off. Next thing ya know, James has done conned that fellow into letting James ride it. Well he gets to going and about 100 yards off, hits a rut and lays that shiny new bike over on the ground. James came off and rolled a couple of times before he popped right to his feet and yelled, "Ya'll don't worry, I'm all right!" Our boss man sure wasn't worried about James, let me tell ya.

James was able to find humor in just about anything. I'm sure if he could holler at us now, he'd be telling us, "Ya'll don't worry, I'm all right."

So now our "Posse" is short a member and we sure are going to miss him.

Now James, you behave up there and don't get yourself into too much trouble.

James Wilson Elliott, 35, died August 21, 2006 from injuries sustained in an ATV accident. He was born January 12, 1971 in San Antonio Texas, to Dayton Wayne and Phyllis Sharlene Murray Elliott Sr. James married Crystal Thomas on February 2, 1999 in Vernal.

James loved being outdoors camping, Hunting Bear, Mountain Lions and most of all coons; he enjoyed watching football and NASCAR and spending time with his family and friends.

James is survived by his Wife, Crystal and Children: Preston, Gunner, Spring, Payton and Ashley. Father and Mother-in-law Dale & Suzette Boren; Brothers William, Dayton Jr. and wife Renea, Charles Conan and wife Jen, John and wife Casey, Nathan and wife Sara, & Kevin; Sisters, Melissa and husband Kenny Cantrell, Evonne Leggett, Sheila and husband Tim Jones, Jeri Marie Robertson, and many uncles, aunts, cousins, nieces and nephews.

Funeral Services will be on Friday, August 25, 2006 at 11:00 am at the Uintah LDS Stake Center (4080 South 2500 East) Friends and family may call at Thomson-Blackburn Vernal Mortuary on Tuesday evening from 6-8 pm and one hour prior to the services at the Chapel. Burial will be in the Vernal Memorial park, In lieu of flowers donations may be made to James Wilson Elliott Trust Fund at Mountain America Credit Union. Routing # 324079555 Acc# 8547742 Attn: Christy Griffs

A Memorial Service will be held Saturday, September 2, 2006 at 11:00 am at the Jimerson Funeral Home in Carthage, Texas.