Brillheart, Laura Elkins

Laura Alice Elkins Brillheart, 87, was reunited with the love of her life, J.B. Brillheart, Jr., on November 13, 2014. Born in Pulaski County on February 13th, 1927, she was the daughter of the late Laura Roseberry Elkins Milsaps and Archie Elkins. In addition to her husband of 62 years, her beloved mother and her father, she was also predeceased by her youngest sister, Lois Elkins Bolen.

Those who survive her include her son Jay Brillheart and wife Diane; daughter Beth Moore and husband David; granddaughter Sarah Bradbury and husband Chris, granddaughter Jade Brillheart; grandsons Jackson, Lucas and Jonathan Bradbury and Alex Steger; sister Mildred Elkins Bolen; and nieces Diane Goff, Mildred Bolen and Alice Bolen Fordham.

Laura Alice did not let her early life of poverty crush her spirit, but instead excelled in school and became one of three Outstanding Seniors along with her sister Mildred and her lifelong best friend, Catchy Hinton. She was voted Friendliest and Most Happy-Go-Lucky by her classmates, traits she continued to exhibit throughout her entire life. Her professional life included positions as a legal secretary, church secretary and teacher’s aide. All of the children at Northwood Elementary knew her not as Mrs. Brillheart, but by her grandparental name of Dane-Dane, which was given to her by her granddaughter Sarah.

Laura Alice was a longtime member of the First United Methodist Church in Pulaski, active in Circles and Sunday School. First and foremost, Laura Alice’s favorite roles in life were those of daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She was fiercely loyal to her friends and family, and if you wronged them, you wronged her. She was able to relate to people from all walks of life, and she had no tolerance for snobbery and hypocrisy. Laura Alice loved to have fun, and she loved to laugh. She loved her bridge club gang, and she could out-shop those who were decades younger than she was. Many a time, the malls and stores were still open because of one person, Laura Brillheart.

She was fortunate to enjoy a lengthy time of retirement with J.B., but sadly he was taken by dementia and she soon followed. Throughout her final years of struggle, you could still sense her spirit and see the fire in her eyes. Although she is no longer with us, she will live on in all of her loved ones.

Funeral services will be held on Sunday November 16, 2014 at 3 p.m. from the Stevens Funeral Home Chapel, Pulaski with the Rev. Norman Wilhoit officiating. Burial will follow in the Highland Memory Gardens, Dublin. The family will receive friends from 2 p.m. until the service hour. Arrangements by Stevens Funeral Home, Pulaski.