The U.S. Custom Harvesters Hall of Fame

INDUCTEES OF USCHI HALL OF FAME

Ellouise House, Tulia, TX - (2001)

Ellouise House, Tulia, TX, the Executive Secretary of U.S. Custom Harvesters, Inc. was one of four people awarded the highest honor of the organization; induction into the USCHI Hall of Fame. Ken Vieth, stated that Ellouise is worn every combine color.

Ellouise was given this award for the many years of service and devotion she has given to this organization over the past 15 years.

When Ellouise started working for USCHI in 1986 she said the office had one typewriter, a telephone, one filing cabinet, a small copy machine and a long table for mailing out the "Harvest News". She kept the books in a ledger and the membership was kept on a card file, which at that time, was a total of 250 members. The "Harvest News" consisted of only eight pages. It was simple to piece together and take to the local printer for reproduction. For many years the magazine was delivered to the office after the printing was complete, where the staff helped label, sort, bag and carry "the newsletter" to the post office to mail. It grew into quite a task as the membership grew and the number of magazines increased at one point to over 1,000 copies. It has since grown into a magazine of 36 pages with color graphics.

Ellouise tells of the first secretary chair that was bought for the office due to the efforts of Modena Pettiet. Modena was the chairman of the first cookbook and she and Ellouise worked closely typing all the recipes on the old typewriter, (without correction ribbon!). This project was to raise money for the organization. Shirley Eaker was Chairman of the USCHI Cookbook II committee. This time Shirley and Ellouise once again typed all the recipes for the cookbook. Both projects have provided invaluable funds for the organization. In 1989 the first computer was purchased. Ellouise was able to place the membership on a data base and do most of the typing with it. Since that first computer the office now has three computers that are networked together, a copy machine, a fax machine and interoffice telephones that are connected. Modern technology has improved rapidly.

Ellouise worked with and lent her help in the development of the Scholarship program. She along with Bob Gattis, Shirley Eaker, Betty Selvidge and Lee Lancaster worked diligently to form the criteria. Ellouise said the idea of creating a harvest quilt to sell chances on to raise funds for the Scholarship program came to her in a dream. her Aunt Nora volunteered to piece and hand stitch the quilt. This she did for several years. The project has now developed into four quilts each year and has generated valuable funds for the Scholarship program.

During Ellouise's 15 years of service she has been in charged and completed 30 successful conventions. She never missed a board meeting or a conference call, some at the early hours of 5:00 a.m. or 6:00 a.m. Over the years she has taken special care of depositing and monitoring the funds of the organization. In 1994-95 Ellouise worked hard to encourage the board to purchase a home for USCHI, a savings and loan building that had closed. The board purchased this in 1995 for $30,000 and was able to sell it for $185,000 just two years later. The board trusted Ellouise to negotiate the sale of the building. She and the office help have personally moved the office three times to where it is presently located 221 Highway 87.

Ellouise said the best part of her job is visiting with the members and being a part of such a vital and important industry. She has served under every USCHI President, 15 to be exact.