Elizabeth Mae Cross
Elizabeth Mae Cross passed away peacefully in her home in Pine Knoll Shores, N.C., on Sunday, Aug. 7, 2011, surrounded by her beloved children. She had recently moved to Pine Knoll Shores to be close to her son David, daughter-in-law Jill and granddaughter.
“Eppie,” daughter of LeRoy and Martha Souder, was born May 16, 1925, in Ashland, Ohio. Both parents, her brother John, and two sisters, Mary Clinton and Katherine Harris, predeceased her.
Eppie attended Bowling Green College to pursue a degree in elementary Education. She utilized this degree by teaching elementary school before she was married.
Eppie married her high school sweetheart, James Cross, upon his return from France in World War II. They moved to California for Jim to pursue his graduate degree at Stanford University, while Eppie worked at the University to support tuition and apartment living costs. When Jim landed a job on Wall Street in finance, the couple moved to Queens and later West Islip, N.Y.; within 6 years, they bore four children.
Eppie was the homemaker while Jim was employed in NYC. In 1968, he sought an occupation change and the couple moved to Cutchogue, N.Y., to build the renowned ornamental wholesale nursery, Environmentals. While living in Cutchogue, Elizabeth’s time was divided between bookkeeping duties for the family nursery business, outreach activities in her local church, political work with The League of Women Voters, working in real estate sales and raising their four kids.
When her children reached adulthood, left home, and married, Elizabeth left Cutchogue and spent the next 26 years living in various cities with her widowed sister Katherine. They resided in Ashland, Ohio; Orlando and Indian Rocks Beach, Fla.; Cornelius and, finally, Pine Knoll Shores, N.C. During this 26-year period, Elizabeth pursued her lifelong passion for painting and left the wonderful, enduring gift of her amazing artwork!
Elizabeth is survived by her four children: Timothy Cross of Austin, Texas, Christine Wells of Reno, Nev., Jennifer Woodruff of Morganville, N.J., and David Cross of Pine Knoll Shores, N.C. She has six grandchildren: Erick and Steven Wells, Felicia Woodruff, Emily and Rachel Cross, and Britni Cross, as well as 5 great-grandchildren. All family members and special friends will be attending a memorial celebration of her life on Oct. 15 in Pine Knoll Shores, N.C.
Elizabeth was a “classy lady,” refined yet self-sufficient, intelligent and highly respected; she was an awesome mother with enviable principles. Her ideals, insightfulness, sense of humor, and spirit will live on within us, but her company will be truly missed.
This is a paid notice.
