The Celebration of Life Service for Mrs. Eloise Rountree of Macon, Georgia will be held Saturday, November 9, 2024, at 2:30 p.m. at New Hope Baptist Church, 1300 Washington Street, Perry, Georgia. Interment will follow at Willow Lake Cemetery, Fort Valley, Georgia.
Eloise Delores Rountree, daughter of James David Mathis (“J.D”) and Alice Mae Engram Mathis was born in Montezuma, Georgia on August 18, 1934. She was the second oldest of a family of ten children. She was a sassy, loving person. She became a Christian at an early age and was baptized at New Hope Baptist Church in Montezuma, Georgia by her grandfather Moody Engram.
Eloise graduated from Flint River High School in 1951. She played basketball and starred on the best girls’ basketball team in Flint River High history. She garnered a broken and permanently crooked finger as a championship memento. She furthered her education receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Education from Fort Valley State College. She later met and was united in Holy Matrimony to Samuel B. Rountree in June of 1960. From this union three devoted children were born: Kenneth, Keith, and Kimberly.
Eloise began her career as an educator with her first job at Lee County Training School in Leesburg, Georgia. She would later receive a Master of Arts in Education from Fort Valley State University. After many years of service, she retired from Russell Elementary in Warner Robins, Georgia, in 1997. Eloise was an educator for 38 years.
After retirement, Eloise worked as the office assistant at New Hope Baptist Church in Perry, Georgia and volunteered in the church nursery. She also volunteered at the Perry Agriculture Center and the Houston County Board of Education in Perry, Georgia. She had a giving spirit and supported various charities, particularly those that aided children.
Eloise moved to Macon, Georgia in 2021 to be closer to her children and lived in a condo at the Gables of Wolfe Creek. She departed this earthly life to be with Christ on October 31, 2024, at her home surrounded by family.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Samuel Rountree, her brothers James David (“Boy”), Walter (“Red”), Carl (“Mac”), Charlie Lynn, Edward Moody and his wife Linda, Marvin (“Big Boy”) and Melvin (“Peachy”). Nieces Tondra, Mia, and Ozzie. Nephews: Greg Mathis, Charlie Lynn Jr., Borris and Dennis Tyson Clark Jr. In-laws: Fannie and Luther Leary, Sue and Roger Cain, Allen and Lillian Rountree, Isabel and James Johnson, Milton and Gwen Rountree.
She leaves a lifetime of fond memories to be cherished by family and friends: sons Kenneth B. Rountree and Reginald Keith Rountree (Nadine Rountree), daughter Kimberly R. Barnes (Wm. “Tommy” Barnes), grandson Aquan Dawkins, granddaughter Ashley Cook, grandson Andre’ Rountree (Celentria), Andrew Barnes, Brandon Barnes, sisters Mildred Houston, Bettye Jean Clark, sisters- in-law: Pearl Mathis, Jewel Mathis, Doris West, Shirley Mathis, Lois Mathis, Nieces: Cheryl Houston, Chandra Houston, Roni Carr, nephews: Artis Houston, Ralph Mathis, Walter Mathis, Carl Morris Mathis Jr, James Mathis, Eric Mathis, Rodney Mathis, Opie Mathis, Maurice Mathis, Marcus Mathis, Edward Moody Mathis Jr, Cody Mathis, niece Karmen Harleaux, Nephews Curtis Cain, Berkley, Michael and Gerald Rountree and a host of other grand nieces and nephews, great-grandchildren, cousins and friends.
To watch the Livestream of this service, go to www.nhbcperryga.org