Darrell R. Elsea

Published 4:33 pm Thursday, April 10, 2025

Former Vicksburg resident Darrell R. Elsea, age 83, of Biggsville, Illinois, passed away at Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center Hospice House on Saturday April 5, 2025 at 3:10 am. Darrell was born April 12, 1941, in St.Louis and is the son of Richard Leslie and Ethel Lavon Johnson Elsea. Darrell was raised in St. Louis until the age of 13, where he attended grade schools. After moving to Vicksburg, Mississippi, he attended and graduated from H.V. Cooper High School in 1959 and joined the United States Army Reserve at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. While at Fort Belvoir, Darrell met Carol Rawhouser during a Thanksgiving dinner in Washington, D.C. He and Carol married on June 30, 1960, in Biggsville. Darrell and Carol moved to Vicksburg in 1960, where both spent all of their professional careers with the U.S. Corps of Engineers. With the Corps, Darrell spent years testing the concrete construction used in airport runways all over the world and later worked in the Corps’ computer technology department before retiring in 1995.

Darrell is survived by his wife, Carol Elsea of Biggsville; his sister, Wanda Gray and her husband, Gene, of Atlanta; and his brother-in-law, David Rawhouser, and his wife, Jill, of Arlington, Texas. He is also survived by three nephews, Brent Gray of Atlanta, Darren Gray of Gulfport, Mississippi, and Patrick D. Rawhouser and his wife, Laura, of Little Rock, Arkansas; and great-nephews, Eli Gray and Anderson Gray, and great-niece, Dani Rawhouser.

As per his request, at present no visitation or service is planned by his family. Cremation is being accorded by Turnbull Funeral Home in Oquawka, Illinois. His family plans a celebration at a later date. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society and may be mailed to Carol at 1250 State Highway 94 Biggsville, Illinois 61418. To leave a remembrance or for more information please visit www.turnbullfuneralhomes.com.