Louise Ward Elliott, shown
with horse, Roller, ca. 1936. Born in San Jacinto, Southern California,
1908. Was carried up Mount San Jacinto on muleback at age two. Moved to
Red Bluff, Northern California, traveled by covered wagon and buckboard
to spend summers camping in Warner Valley near erupting Mount Lassen.
They lived on fish and deer, got flour and sugar from Chester, California
general store once a month. Returned to Southern California, was taught
to ride by Domingo Costo, Chief of the Cahuilla Indians. She was a “Terman
Tot,” one of Lewis Terman’s sample of gifted children. Went to Pomona
College in 1920’s. Understudy for Ramona in 1936 Hemet Ramona Pageant.
Rode hot horse Topsy in rodeos and quarterhorse competitions, stake races,
barrel races, potato races, won a drawer full of blue ribbons. Noted for
her skill with animals, had pet wildcat, Kris Kringle, and two pet owls,
Pelleas and Melisande. Taming wild things was her specialty. Father, W.Y.
Elliott, was her greatest success. They met on a Friday in 1936 (he wanted
a ride on Roller), married the next Wednesday, divided rest of their lives
together between Harvard, Washington, and farm in Blue Ridge Mountains,
Virginia. Raised five kids, looked after many aged relatives, gave shelter
to more than two dozen refugees from one vicissitude or another. Entertained
heads of state and sailors from HMNZS Leander during WWII. Got Harvard
degree in 1953 with son Charlie, first mother-and-son
graduation in Harvard’s history . Continued to run farm alone
after death of W.Y. Elliott, 1979. Fought forest fires, served on rescue
squad.
At age 80, she was kidnapped at knifepoint
by tattooed, paroled rapist Charles Seale. He bound and gagged her,
and took her to the end of a dark, remote mountain road. She talked
him out of it, and into untying her, giving her back her car. “Do you
believe in prayer?” she asked. “Yes I do.” “Then you will understand
that I am praying for you because you have gotten yourself into trouble
and are about to get yourself into much worse trouble.” He was arrested
the next day at the local moonshiner’s house. The judge gave him only
50 years for his exercise of restraint. In 1988 she sold the farm and
moved with her saddle and canoe to a retirement home in Claremont, California.
Her motto: “Always do the most loving thing.”
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