The Village of Nashville will recognize its 150^th birthday Aug. 2-4.

Part of the planning is naming a prominent person to preside over the event’s parade.

 

Organizers of the celebration have announced that Lois Elliston, a 43- year employee of the village, will be the Grand Marshal for the Sesquicentennial Parade.

 

Stan Graham nominated Lois for the honor because of her behind-the-scenes leadership and quiet dedication to the community. “She collects all of the baskets at Christmas from the various organizations. 

 

“She personally wraps each gift to be delivered to local children, and her home is the most decorated home in town during the holidays... she and her husband always gave out those individual cereal boxes at Halloween,” Graham  said.

 

Lois became the organizer of the Christmas Project 38 years ago. She makes sure each participating family gets a food basket and each child in the family gets two gifts. She served on a citizen’s committee that created Nashville Riverside Park, rebooting the Nashville Harvest Festival as a fundraiser for the project. 

 

The daughter of Harold and Leah Phillips, Lois moved to Nashville in 1949 as a freshman in high school. She and her high school sweetheart, Richard Elliston, were married following their graduation in 1954.  They raised three children, Cheryl, Cindy, and Richard II. 

 

Richard II wasn’t yet in school when he walked in the children’s parade at the Nashville Centennial Celebration in 1969. Richard passed away a few years ago. There are now five grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, and a large number of beloved nieces and nephews.

 

Lois retires from the village June 28. She looks forward to bowling, gardening, meeting friends for tea on Tuesdays at the Country Kettle and finding new ways to interact with the community she loves, possibly including Euchre Night with the ladies at Two J’s on Wednesday evenings.

 

Photo: Lois Elliston, Nashville's Sesquicentennial Parade Grand Marshal

(photo provided)