ELLIOT, JOHN HOWARD, 85, of Gold Mine Road, Morganton, NC, died Monday, December 19, 2005 at the NC State Veterans Home in Salisbury, NC following a period of declining health. He was born on September 2, 1920 in Celo, NC, a son of the late, Oscar G. and Martha Georganna Hollifield Elliott. In addition to his parents he was preceded in death by his wife, Annie Jane Denton Elliott and by a sister, Judy Arnett. Mr. Elliott was a U.S. Army veteran of WWII and was a retired employee of Operating Engineers Local 673. He was a life-time member of the Masonic Lodge in Barnwell, SC. Surviving are a son and his wife, Ronnie and Jeanna Elliott, of Morganton; a daughter and her husband, Cherri and Kenneth Wright of Kenansville, FL; a brother, Wallace D. Elliott, of Puyallup, WA; sisters, Arthena D. Ellis of Hollywood, FL and Harriet Tyac, of Hollywood, CA; five grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. The funeral was held at 1PM, Friday, December 23, 2005, in the Colonial Chapel of Sossoman Funeral Home with Rev. Ed Lawing officiating. Burial followed at Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church Cemetery. Mason rites were conducted by Catawba Valley Lodge #217. The family received friends from 7-8:30PM at Sossoman Funeral Home.