Eleanor Compton Drake

Published 3:43 pm Friday, July 2, 2021

Eleanor Compton Drake, 84, of Uniontown, passed away on Wednesday, June 30, 2021. Eleanor was born on September 14, 1936 in Selma. She grew up in Greensboro,  was a graduate of Greensboro High School, and attended the University of Montevallo.  Eleanor met her husband of 59 years, Walton Avery Drake, in Greensboro. They settled in Uniontown, where they raised their three children: Buddy, Beth, and Earl. Eleanor worked at Judson College for over 30 years. She earned a degree in psychology during her time at Judson, and worked in several departments. She served as the Judson College Registrar, and, most recently, she served as the Director of Historic Research and Archivist at Judson’s Bowling Library. She remained very active in the United Daughters of the Confederacy and the Daughters of the American Revolution. Eleanor was recently recognized as a Honorary Life President of the Alabama division of the United Daughters of the Confederacy. She was an engaged member of the Perry County Historical Society. She recently authored the book  Perry County (Images of America),and co-authored Do What the Spirit Says Do: An Oral History of The Civil Rights Struggle in Perry County, Alabama. Eleanor and Walt were members of the First Baptist Church of Uniontown, and, more recently, she was an active member of Hopewell Baptist Church. Eleanor was an avid reader and genealogical researcher. Her passion for conducting research for the area Baptist Association, Judson Alumni, and members of the community to provide a greater depth of knowledge about the community she worked in will be deeply missed. She was skilled at puzzles and sudoku, and loved sharing stories about her ancestors with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Eleanor was preceded in death by her husband, Walton Avery Drake, her son, Walton Avery Drake Jr. (Buddy), and her brother, William Leigh Compton. She is survived by her daughter, Beth Leigh Drake, her son, William Earl Drake, and her sister, Claudia Belle Holloway. She is also survived by her six grandchildren, Leanah Blalock Lee (Thomas), Julian Tutwiler Blalock, Jr. (Mary Kathryn), Sarah Blalock Friday (Benjamin), Hannah Blalock Moses (JB), Brittany Nichole Drake, and William Walton Drake (Frances), and her 12 great-grandchildren. A graveside service will be held on Sunday, July 4, at 3 p.m. at the Rosemont Cemetery on Highway 61 North in Uniontown. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions be made to Hopewell Baptist Church or the Perry County Historical Society.