Ohio Mourns the Loss of Prominent Business Figure and Local Civil Rights

Pioneer

Middletown Native Elsie V. Hightower Passed Away on August 9th Leaving Behind a Loving Family
and Trailblazing Legacy

Middletown, OH, August 18, 2018 --(PR.com)-- Elsie V. Hightower, an entrepreneur and vanguard who
stood at the forefront of minority advancement and progress found peace in heaven on August 9th 2018.
A savvy Entrepreneur and Businesswoman, Elsie and her husband Yudell Hightower, co-founded
Hightowers Janitorial Service Inc. in 1956. It became one of the communities early black owned
businesses employing thousands of local Middletown employees over her tenure as VP and Secretary.

After arriving to Middletown, she obtained her GED, and attended Middletown Business college, New
York Technical Institute and a 2-year program at Miami University. In addition to her duties at “HJS” she
worked at Filsons, McAlpins, Avon Products, Middletown Mental Health, Packaging of America, Armco
and International Div.

A High school basketball player, became a champion bowler in Middletown.

She was active in the Civil Rights movement and advocated for employment in Middletown and equal
education. She and her family broke many racial barriers in Middletown when they moved to the east end
of town in 1967 crossing the “red Line” of housing discrimination and ultimately integration of the
schools in the east end. She was on the front line of many racial and community challenges; her lifetime
of work impacted entire communities.

It was through her early engagement as a co-owner of Hightowers Janitorial Service that started the
legacy family business, Hightowers Petroleum Co, www.HightowersPetroleum.com. To date, three
generations of Hightowers have been central to the company's success - running and operating the
flourishing energy supplier, one of the largest African American privately held businesses in the country.

In her words to Yudell, her husband for 66 years, while he was in the hospital:

“If tears could build a stairway, and memories a lane, I'd walk right up to heaven and bring you home
again.”
- Elsie V Hightower

Elsie was born on June 7th 1935 in Eupora, Mississippi. She was married for 66 years to her sweetheart
Yudell Hightower and together they had 5 children, Donnie Hightower (deceased), Stephen L Hightower
(Bernita), Kenneth Scott Hightower, Barbet Hightower (deceased) and Yolanda Fay Hightower. Nine
Grandchildren, Quincy SL Hightower, Stephanie L Hightower Thomas (Julius II), Sabrina L Hightower,
Stephen L Hightower II, Dominique D Hightower, Jason AL Hightower, Austin K Terry, Kip Keno
Hightower and Angel N Howard. She also leaves her special brother Homer Lee Robinson and six
Great-Grandchildren Quincie SL Hightower, Jadlynn M Thomas, Jasmynn M Thomas, Jarrenn M

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Thomas, Stephen L Hightower III, Alaysia Howard and Ayson Terry.

Her body has been donated to Wright State University for Science.

A memorial for Elsie will be held at Breiel Church, located at 2000 N. Breiel Blvd. Middletown, Ohio
45042 on August 25th beginning at 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM. Any acknowledgements of sympathy can be
directed to the Hightowers Petroleum Co family office located at 3577 Commerce Drive, Middletown,
OH 45005; please attention to Denise Paige.

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