Rev. James H. Elliott

Rev. James H. Elliott, age 89, of Columbia, Missouri, formerly of Hermann, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on December 20, 2025 at Caring Hearts & Hands in Columbia.

Rev. Elliott was born in Aurora, IL on November 23, 1936, to Harold W. and Ruth (nee Skeen) Elliott. He started 1st grade at the age of 5.  His teacher combined 1st grade with 2nd grade in the small rural school.  He graduated from Oswego, IL High School at the age of 16.  

Growing up, his family lived on three farms between Oswego and Plainfield, IL.  Each farm was a combination of livestock and grain farming.  In January of 1953, he decided he wanted to get an education. His father was opposed to college education and religion, so he would have to pay his own way through college.  He chose Aurora College (later known as Aurora University), which was about 20 miles away from the farm at the age of 16.  He was told he could continue to live on the farm, but he would still have to provide some help with the farm tasks to pay for his room and board.  He held a number of jobs during his college years, the longest of which was a job in a mattress factory, building new mattresses and re-building old mattresses.  Classes began at 7:30 a.m. until noon.  Then students were free to hold an afternoon job, with classes resuming at 7:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. Getting back home at 10:30 p.m., there were livestock chores, followed by study time.  In the morning, there were more livestock chores before class time.

He was united in marriage to Lila M. Ricketts on December 22, 1957.   To this union four children were born, Mark, Jeffry, Kathy and Julie.  Together they shared almost 52 wonderful years of marriage together, until Lila preceded him in death on August 27, 2009 after battling cancer.

He enrolled in a pre-engineering course of study, when he began to feel he was being called to Pastoral ministry.  His great-aunt Bessie Skeen helped him work through the feelings that God was “calling” him to ministry.  He then changed the direction of his studies in his sophomore year.  He graduated from Aurora College in 1959 with a B.A degree in sociology and a B.Th. degree in theology, with a minor in psychology.  From there, he attended Evangelical Theology Seminary at Naperville, IL, graduating with a Master of Divinity degree in 1961.

In mid-1959, he was invited to become the student pastor of 1st Congregational Church, Lee Center, IL while he finished his degree work at the seminary.  He was ordained as a minister of the United Church of Christ, which was just being formed by a merger of 4 denominations at that time, on October 8,1961.  He was honored in October of 2021 by Columbia UCC, Columbia, MO for 60 years of ordained ministry.  

Throughout the years Rev. Elliott served as pastor at Union Congregational Church, at Gridley, IL; Minister of Education and Minister of Youth at Edgebrook Community Church, Chicago, IL; Pastor of North Berwyn Congregational Church; Pastor of St. Paul’s UCC, Minonk, IL; and Pastor of St. Paul’s UCC, Hermann, MO for 28 ½ years.  He officially retired in 2008, when he provided 24/7 care for his wife Lila, who was dying of cancer.  Since that time, he was asked to fill in as part-time pastor for Emmanuel UCC, New Franklin, MO; St. John’s UCC, Billingsville, MO for 8 ½ years; and Immanuel UCC, Sedalia, MO.  Over the years, he served on a variety of committees in the Illinois Conference UCC and the Missouri Mid-South Conference UCC.

James is survived by four children, Mark David & wife Sharon (nee Meinert); Jeffry Scott & wife Ruth (nee Hakes) Elliott; Kathy Lynn (nee Elliott) & husband Kelvin Kurrelmeyer; and Julie Ann (nee Elliott) Lins.  Grandchildren survivors include:  Joshua Elliott, Jennifer (nee Elliott) & husband Jeremy Donhardt; Eric Elliott & wife Laura (nee Schmink); Elizabeth Kurrelmeyer, Christine Kurrelmeyer; Rachel (nee Kurrelmeyer) & husband Matthew Tyler Jamerson; Gavin Lins and Trey Lins.  Great-grandchildren survivors include: Brynlee, Sophie, Grant, Heidi Donhardt; Caden & Chloe Elliott; Ashton & Jace Elliott.

Rev. Elliott was re-married to Sharon (nee Meyer), a native of Kansas on August 11, 2012.  They were married for almost 13 years.  Sharon died of cancer on June 1, 2025.               
              
Visitation will be held Monday, December 29th from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. at Toedtmann & Grosse Funeral Home, Hermann, where funeral services will follow at 11:00 a.m.

Burial will be at Oak Haven Memorial Gardens, Hermann.  Memorial donations may be given to Caring Hearts & Hands, Columbia, Missouri or St. Paul United Church of Christ, Hermann, Missouri.