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Jo Ann Elliott Hamil
Born November 16, 1935 in Abilene, Texas she was the only child of Pete and Mittie Elliott who founded Elliott's Funeral Home in Abilene, Texas in 1933. She was raised in a small house next door to the original Elliott's Funeral Home at North 2nd and Orange Street. She grew up helping her parents in the funeral home. In fact, when reflecting how things have changed over the years, she would often mention how she made numerous trips with her father to the families home where someone had passed away. She would watch her father perform the embalming procedure at their home, as was custom in those days. She also talks of the many trips with here father to the train station to send or receive a body from out of town.
She graduated from Abilene High School in 1953. In 1954, she graduated form the Dallas Institute-Gupton Jones College of Mortuary Science, of which she was the secretary of her class and one of only two women in her class. She received her funeral director and embalmer's license in 1957, becoming the first woman in Taylor County to hold an embalmer's license. Her mother, Mittie, was the first woman in Taylor County to hold a funeral director's license of which she received in 1939. She received her certificate of graduation from the National Foundation of Funeral Service School of Management 1961.
She followed in her father's footsteps, in that she had a love for aviation and received her pilot's license and helped her father to run the Elliott's Air Ambulance Service for a number of years. While active in aviation, she was very involved with several women's pilot organizations including the Powder Puff Derby; a cross country aviation race. Over the years, she has been involved in numerous civic organizations and received several honors including being named a Taylor County Pathfinder in 1988; an organization that honors women that are successful leaders an good examples to others in their chosen careers. But of all her works over the years, she is probably most proud of her time and work as a member of the Texas State Board of Morticians, of which the Governor Dolph Briscoe appointed her to in 1977. She served as president of the board from 1981 to 1982 and was the first woman to ever become president of that board.
She has been a long time and active member of the Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest in Abilene. She and her late husband, John, operated the Elliott-Hamil Funeral Homes in Abilene after the death of her father Pete in 1967. Her mother, Mittie, also remained active in the business until her death in 1991. Jo Ann is proud to be apart of the new Hamil Family Funeral Home, where she can continue her dream of helping families.
After John passed away in 1998, Jo Ann married Mr. Richard Kincaid. She has three children, Cynthia, Angela and Robert. Her pride and joy are her three grandsons John Parker Willis, Aaron Elliott Hamil, and John Austin Hamil. Jo Ann Elliott Hamil is truly a person that has been around the funeral industry her entire life, and has helped countless families in their time of loss. She has contributed countless hours to her community and the funeral profession, which she is proud to be associated with.