Keeping the Lights On and the Faith Strong
Elliott Marshall Retires After 35 Years at HCEC
By Greg Ritchie
Messenger Reporter
HOUSTON COUNTY – For more than three decades, when power lines stretched across fields and forests in Houston County needed protecting, Elliott Marshall was often among the first to show up and the last to leave.
Recently, after 35 years of service with Houston County Electric Cooperative (HCEC), Marshall officially retired, closing a chapter defined by steady work, deep faith and a commitment to the community he has always called home.
“I just knew it was time,” Marshall said. “When it’s time, you feel it deep inside. You know there’s a new journey ahead.”
Marshall grew up just outside Crockett, the 11th of 16 children, raised in a household shaped by faith and discipline. His father was a minister, and Marshall said those early lessons stayed with him throughout his life.
“I was reared in a Christian home,” he said. “That makes a difference in how you treat people and how you approach your work.”
A graduate of Kennard High School and former Crockett Bulldogs football player, Marshall spent several years working locally before joining HCEC in 1990. What began as a maintenance job cleaning buildings soon grew into a long-term role in the cooperative’s right-of-way department, where he helped keep power lines clear and service reliable across the county.
According to Kathi Calvert, Marshall’s work was essential to the cooperative’s mission.
“He spent many years caring for our right-of-way, protecting our power lines, and helping ensure reliable service to the communities we serve,” Calvert said in a statement. “Elliott will be remembered for his commitment, knowledge, and the pride he took in his work.”
Marshall describes his decades at the co-op as challenging, rewarding and deeply human.
“When you work a public job, you’re going to have ups and downs,” he said. “Some customers love what you do, some don’t understand it at first. But sooner or later, they come back and see why the work has to be done.”
He compared life at the co-op to being part of a large family — one that sometimes disagrees, but always works through it.
“You’re there with those people more than you’re with your own family,” he said. “Sometimes you bump heads, but you learn to live together. That’s just life.”
Marshall credits strong leadership over the years, including guidance and support from Calvert and Mike Lane, for helping him navigate those challenges.
“They understood when life happened,” he said. “They knew I was going to work, and they treated me fair.”
Alongside his career at HCEC, Marshall also answered a calling to ministry. Ordained in 1998, he has pastored multiple rural churches over the years, often juggling long workdays with late nights preparing sermons or traveling between congregations.
“People ask me how I did it,” he said. “Sometimes it meant long nights and getting up early the next morning. But you stay focused on what you’re called to do.”
Today, Marshall pastors two different churches — a schedule he says keeps him busy even in retirement.
Like many young people, Marshall once had opportunities to leave Houston County. Early in his career, he and his family considered moving to Tyler. He ultimately chose to stay.
“I’m glad I did,” he said. “I was born here, and this is a great place to live. If you can settle down and make a good life, that’s an opportunity you ought to take.”
He hopes younger generations understand that success doesn’t always require leaving home.
“If you’re unhappy where you work, you won’t reach your full potential,” he said. “But if you find work that’s credible — that helps you build your life — it’s worth holding onto.”
HCEC employees made sure Marshall’s final days were marked with appreciation. During a retirement celebration and Christmas gathering, colleagues surprised him with a party, gifts and a look back at his early years on the job.
“They even pulled out pictures from when I first started,” Marshall said with a laugh. “I weighed about 170 back then. I don’t anymore.”
Family members, church members and co-workers gathered for what Marshall described as a “big shindig,” one that left him humbled and grateful.
“They really went out of their way,” he said. “It meant more to me than I can say.”
As he steps into retirement, Marshall says he plans to stay active, including helping his wife Deborah with maintenance work in local school districts. The two have been married for 38 years. He will also appreciate time with his three kids, Felicia, Deidre, and Sean.
But more than anything, he hopes his life serves as an example.
“Anything worth having is worth working for,” he said. “If you want to hold your position, you’ve got to work at it.”
When asked what advice he would offer younger people, Marshall didn’t hesitate.
“The secret to happiness is in Christ Jesus,” he said. “If you acknowledge Him first, He will direct your path. He won’t put more on you than you can bear.”
As Houston County Electric Cooperative turns the page, colleagues say Marshall’s legacy will endure in the miles of right-of-way he maintained and the quiet example he set.
“We are grateful for the years he gave to our cooperative and members,” Calvert said, “and we wish him nothing but happiness in this next chapter of life.”
Reflecting on storms both literal and figurative, Marshall said faith has carried him through every season.
“As long as you’ve got Jesus on board,” he said, “He can speak to the storm until it passes.”
Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]
