Gratefulness rang out on Sunday, December 15, 1929. It was the 349 ^th day of the year 1929, the 50 ^th Sunday of that year, when Viola Patton & Samuel Sweat welcomed with gratefulness a set of twins, their beautiful daughter, and son, whom they named Elnora & Elmer Sweat to this world.  Elnora was born in Irving, Texas – in a historic community, originally called Bear Creek.   Elnora attended schools in Irving and graduated from the acclaimed Booker T. Washington High School in Dallas, Texas.  She also attended Jones School of Business and Southern Bible Institute.  She was a member and was baptized at the Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church, Irving (Grand Prairie) Texas.

She met and married Charles William Loving, II to whom four children were born - Charles III, Ronald James, Anthony Keith & Lorna Renee. They moved to California and lived for a time period and moved back to Irving. After Charles' death, she continued to nurture and educate her children in the realm of dignity and love.

She later met and married Rev. O. J. Spruiells and to this union, they were grateful to give birth to a son, Steven Dwayne.

Although she was never a certified English teacher, Elnora insisted that her children spoke, read and learned all that was available and mastered the "King's English."  She would often say, "Believe it or not, people judge you by the English you use."

She was employed with: American Fine Arts Gallery, The Whites, The Crocketts, The Israels & The Kosman's.  Elnora was an excellent cook, and she loved to sew and make ceramics.  B.B. Washington, who worked for Hancock Fabrics, and Jewel Stephens were her sewing buddies. They would lay the fabric out, cut fabric, and debate about who was going to make the button holes and who was doing what… They loved what they did and did it very well.

In her quest to make the most out of life, Elnora served in many capacities to help and serve.  She served as a member of the Earlie Mae Chapter of the Eastern Stars #390.  She was also a member of The Missionary Society of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, Ministers' Spouses Organization and West Irving Improvement Association.  She served as an Instructor for the first Montessori in Bear Creek for a time. She loved sharing.

Elnora cherished the friends and friendships she formed. She could debate and get angry with her friends, hang up the phone and remember she forgot to ask or say something and call back like nothing was wrong…. Her friends until death were Mrs. Rosemary Newman (deceased), Mrs. Jewel Stephens, Mrs. Zedella Stephenson, Mrs. Bessie B. Washington (deceased) and Mrs. Elmer Morton (deceased), Mrs. Dixie Carroway, Mrs. Beatrice Triggs (deceased), Mrs. Myrtle Morton (deceased), Mrs. Ruth Hearns (deceased), Mrs. Pauline Hamilton and Mrs. Louise Moffit (deceased).  We thank God for her friends and their friendship with her.

Because her love for her family was overwhelming, she will be greatly missed. Until her health failed, she cooked breakfast every morning and dinner every night.  She would often say, "You eat whatever I cook."

She loved her siblings and had compassion and sternness. She and her siblings took turns keeping their sister, Ruby because they felt the nursing center where she resided wasn't doing enough.  Many times she would go to visit family and friends and see other clients of the nursing home being neglected and would make it her business to see that they were attended to, then say, "Treat people the way you want to be treated."

God doesn't make mistakes so she took being a wife, mother, and friend very seriously and implored others to do the same. Some of her favorite quotes that she often quoted and lived by were as follows:

"If a thing is worth doing, Do it right."  - "That, that you do, do with all your might, a thing half done, is never done right." – "Cleanliness is next to Godliness and if you can't be godly, for God's sake be clean." She let her light shine before her family at home so that their lights could shine - Thanks be unto God.

Elnora is predeceased by her mother, Viola Patton-Vaughn-Sweat; her father, Samuel Sweat; her husband, Pastor O. J. Spruiells; sons, Charles Loving III and Anthony Keith, Oscar James & Jeanette; her siblings, Jessie Mae, Beatrice, Ruby Lee, Zenobia, Elnora, Booker T, Samuel Collins, Matthew, Cecil, Offie, Willie Mac, & Elmer.

Left to honor her are Ronald J. (Laura) Loving; Lorna R. (Prince) Hill; and Steven D. Spruiells; Brenda Howard; O. J. Spruiells, Jr.; 20 grandchildren, 27 great-grandchildren, and 4 great-great grandchildren: her siblings; Joe L. Sweat and Ola P. Mitchell. Special friends: Mrs. Zedella Stephenson, a special sister Emma J. Stephens, Mrs. Pauline Hamilton, and Mrs. Dixie Carroway.  A host of nieces, nephews, cousins, Special God Sons: Danny Goodspeed, Danny Archie, Jimmy Wyatt, and Derrick Collins,  her Bear Creek Family, Home Church Family - Greater Allen Temple A.M.E.; Churches where she served as Pastor's Wife were Warren Chapel A.M.E., Greater Garth A.M.E., Johnson Chapel A.M.E., Anderson Chapel A.M.E. After retiring and when her health began to fail, she joined her community church, Ben Washington Baptist Church.