Ellen M. (Hoten) Gaither

Ellen M. (Hoten) Gaither, age 86 went home peacefully to be with the Lord on Friday afternoon, September 29, 2023 from her home in Brown County.

Ellen was born at home on Totten Ford Ridge of Lonesome Valley in Harrison County, Indiana on March 29, 1937. She was the daughter of Shelby F. and Mary E. (Horner) Hoten. Ellen married Charles W. Gaither on April 16, 1954 in Milltown. She was a 1954 graduate of Milltown High School and attended Jefferson State College in Birmingham, AL.

Ellen is survived by her devoted husband of 69 years, Charles; children, Larry (Lori) Gaither of Waverly, Sharon Wilson of Nashville, Nancy (Ed) Harbert of Greenwood, Calvin (Sandy) Gaither of Nashville & Rick (Mary Ellen) Gaither of Nashville; brother, Charles (Rosemary) Hoten of Fredricksburg; 18 grandchildren, 26 great grandchildren and several nieces & nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; brother, George Hoten; son in law, Bill Wilson; and a great grandson, Jeremy E. Arwood.

Ellen was very committed to her family, friends and community. She was a 47-year member of the Unity Baptist Church in Brown County. Prior to that, she held memberships at the Central Baptist Church in Kansas from 1956-1961; Center Point Church and then the Palmerdale United Methodist Church in Alabama from 1962-1968; Cumberland Baptist Church in Indianapolis and a member of the Smith Valley Baptist Church in Greenwood. Ellen was active in her church memberships serving as a Sunday School and Bible School Teacher, as well as, Missions and Youth Leader.

She was a devoted housewife, active gardener and a farmer. Ellen owned & operated C & E Farms, alongside her husband, in Brown County from 1975-2015, where they not only raised cattle and hay but also chrysanthemums. She was an active board member of the Brown County Farm Bureau from 1977-2018 serving as an ‘Ag in the Classroom’ Educator and Women’s Leader. Ellen was also the Whitecross Chairman for the American Baptist Women’s Ministries. She enjoyed caring for her family and tending to her flowers & vegetable gardens. Ellen also enjoyed embroidering, sewing & quilting. Her fun-loving & competitive spirit was evident when pitching horseshoes.

Dr. Steven L. Smith will conduct a funeral service at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday at Unity Baptist Church, 7361 Spearsville Road in Morgantown. Friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday at the church and from 9 a.m. until service time on Wednesday. Burial will be at Unity Baptist Church Cemetery. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Meredith-Clark Funeral Home in Morgantown.           

Memorial contributions may be sent in honor of Ellen to Main Street Hospice, 10 Highland Ave. Franklin, IN 46131 or Dementia Society of America, PO Box 600 Doylestown, PA 18901 or the Heath Gibson Foundation, PO Box 308, Morgantown, IN 46160. 

Expressions of caring and kindness may be made to the Gaither family at meredith-clark.com.

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