Eleanor Grisham Dugger, 92, died on January 20 at her home in Cedar Park, Texas. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 pm on January 28 at Broecker Funeral Home in Salado, with internment following at Salado Cemetery.
Eleanor was born on January 21, 1930 to Buford A. and Hazel Hart Grisham in Temple, Texas at the home of her grandmother, Adaline (Addie) Hart. Her childhood years were spent on family farms in Texas; first near Pendleton and later in the Oenaville area. She graduated as valedictorian from Troy High School in 1947, she received a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in 1951 and a master’s degree in religious education from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1957.
She married Derald Dugger on August 12, 1952 and worked faithfully by his side as he served as pastor or acting pastor of many churches throughout Texas in the 60 years that followed. Her church activities included: serving as pianist, Sunday school teacher for various age groups, conducting Bible studies, serving as recreation/retreat coordinator, theater director, and vacation Bible school director.
Eleanor’s 33-year professional career in public education began with classroom teaching. She later became Instructional Coordinator for the Austin Independent School District’s Curriculum and Education Department, where she developed curriculum guides in reading, language arts, and social studies for grades K-6. She was subsequently named president of the Texas Association for Improvement of Reading, where she led staff development, performed teacher evaluations and managed district-level programs. Eleanor was also a member of the Alpha chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma. After retiring from AISD she became Director of the IES Foundation, where she spent two years hiring and training teachers for after school programs in Spanish and French. Eleanor’s career in education concluded with 10 years of supervising student teachers at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor.
Her family and friends remember Eleanor’s ready smile, encouraging words, kindness, persistence, integrity, selfless service, and the delicious “Eleanor’s Edibles” that left them better than ever.
Preceding her in death were her parents Buford and Hazel Grisham, her sister LaNell Edwards, and her husband of 68 years Joe Derald Dugger.
He is survived by son Alan Kent Dugger (Jann Peacock) of Leander, brother-in-law Charles Edwards of Lakeway, nephew Bryan Dugger of Houston, granddaughter Allyson Jasper (Ryan) of Olathe, KS, four great-grandchildren Emily, Maddox, Adelyn and Lachlan Jasper, and his nephew Victor Edwards of Lakeway.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests making memorials to the following that are especially important to Eleanor: Baptist Temple (Women’s Ministry), 1804 Canterbury St., Austin, TX 78702; First Baptist Church Salado (Mission Fund), 210 S Main St, Salado, TX 76571.
Published online January 26, 2023
Published in Austin American Statesman
