Elsie W Platner

Elsie Elva Watkins Platner (October 24, 1925 – December 23, 2025)

Elsie was born in Whiteville, North Carolina, to Oscar Watkins and Winnie Maud Fisher Watkins. She is predeceased by her parents, her husband, James Booth Platner, and her seven siblings: LeGrande Watkins (Marion), Clyde Lamson (Billy), Herman Watkins (Doris Shaw), Eunice Cutchin (Tom), Katie Loy (Mack), Wilmur Watkins (Marilyn Dew), and Aaron Watkins.

She grew up on the family tobacco farm during the Depression and would frequently share happy memories of working hard in the fields, feeding animals, washing clothes over an outside firepot, and riding in the horse and buggy with her father. She had a mule which she loved to ride bareback. She was surrounded by an extended family of aunts, uncles, cousins and a grandmother, who lived nearby.

Elsie graduated from Whiteville High School in April 1943. Afterwards, she took the train to St. Petersburg, Florida, where she worked in her brother, LeGrand’s drugstore, dipping ice cream.

On April 3, 1944, she started nurses training at Mound Park Hospital School of Nursing in St. Petersburg. On April 3, 1947, she graduated and met her future husband, Jim, that evening. She picked him out of a group of midshipmen, and he took her dancing. Jim returned to the Merchant Marine and Elsie went to work at St. Anthony’s Hospital in St. Petersburg. She returned to North Carolina and went to Duke for postgraduate work in ObGyn. She was engaged to Jim on April 4, 1948, in New Orleans. Jim returned to sea and Elsie worked at the EENT Hospital in New Orleans. In July 1948, she worked at Charity Hospital for the American Red Cross with polio patients and later went to Atlanta to work at Grady Hospital in the polio ward. In September 1948 she went to the Biltmore Orthopedic Hospital near Asheville, N.C. to use the “Sister Kenny Technique” with polio patients. There were large Army tents on the grounds of the hospital, with 30 patients in a tent, 15 on each side and a place for her desk. She recalled this story often and was proud of meeting Sister Kenny.

She and Jim married on April 22, 1949, in her hometown, and then settled in Atlanta while Jim completed a degree at Georgia Tech.

In 1952, Elsie and Jim moved to Sparrows Point, Maryland, where Jim worked at Bethlehem Steel, and Elsie set up their home. Their first child, Sandra, was born in 1953. They moved to Dundalk and in 1955, their second child, Jim was born. In 1957, John was born and in 1959, Elsie Lynn was born. On November 19, 1959, they moved into their brand-new home in Severna Park, Maryland.

The following years were a bustle of more moves with four children in tow to Scituate, Massachusetts then Vallejo, California and finally settling back into their Severna Park home. Elsie’s fifth child, Frank was born in 1963. She and Jim raised their children in the home they had designed.

In 1972, she joined Trinity Bible Church and was an active and much-loved member for the remainder of her life. Tragically, her husband died from cancer in 1994, when she was only 68 years old. She returned to nursing in her 70’s, providing private duty care to several home bound people.

Her house by the Severn River has served as a home base for her children, their spouses, her grandchildren and now her great grandchildren. She is survived by her five children and their spouses: Sandra Bassin (William), Jim Platner (Donna Engleman), John Platner, Elsie Lynn Platner and Frank Platner. Her four grandchildren and spouses are: David Morrow (Meghan Kesecker), Jonathan Lee Morrow (Siara Johnson), Jim Platner (Victoria Hill), and Sara Platner. She was the proud Great-grandmother of Jack Morrow and Claire Platner.

The last decades of her life were spent enjoying time with family and friends. She was an inspiration to everyone who knew her and loved by all. Well into her 90s she would often be seen walking around Severna Park and talking with neighbors. She is deeply missed.

A Memorial Service for family and friends will be held at Trinity Bible Church, Truckhouse Road on February 28, at 3:00. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Gallagher Services through Catholic Charities (cc-md.org/programs/gallagher-services/).