Mary Frances Ellis

Tuesday, July 22, 2008 at 11:00 a.m. at the Farber Baptist Church in Farber, Missouri.
Officiating will be: Rev. Jerry Ostrom.
Music provided by: Sterling and Karen Holbrook.
Interment will be in the Farber Cemetery.
Pallbearers: Harold Williams, Lloyd McCurdy, Rich Denton, Mike Denton, Brandt Bailey and Mike Kauble. Honorary pallbearer was Donnie Tipton.

Mary Frances (Miller) Ellis passed away at 10:35 p.m. on Friday, July 18, 2008 at the Tri-County Care Center in Vandalia, Missouri. She was a homemaker and wrote articles reporting local events and news items for the Mexico Ledger, Hannibal Courier-Post and the Vandalia Leader from 1962 through mid-2006, when she retired at the age of 85 due to health issues. Mary had the longest current membership in the Farber Baptist church where she taught Sunday school and Bible school classes. She also served as an officer for the Farber Baptist Women's Association, assisted with craft projects for Bible school, kept scrapbooks recording the activities of the church and Bible school and served as janitor for the church for several years. She was very active with the community and local projects. Mary was a member and officer of the Farber PTA, a member of the Farber Community Betterment Committee and helped organize and facilitate the Farber Annual Homecoming events. She also served as a 4-H project leader, cub scout den leader and girl scout leader. Mary was a lifelong Farber resident and enjoyed sewing, quilting, embroidery, flowers, genealogy and most of all spending time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Born: May 18, 1921 in Farber, Missouri the daughter of George William and Dossie Ella (Plybon) Miller.

Married: George Raymond Ellis in Mexico, Missouri on October 28, 1939; he preceded her in death on May 18, 1995.

Survivors include: six sons: James and wife, Naomi Ellis of Farber, Missouri; John and wife, Vicki Ellis of Kirkwood, Missouri; Joe and wife, Lori Ellis of Hannibal, Missouri; Jack Ellis of Hannibal; Jan and wife, Teresa Ellis of Vandalia, Missouri; Jeff Ellis of Farber; three daughters: Joy and husband, Jim Pallister of Columbia, Missouri; Jeanne Hammack of League City, Texas; Julie and husband, Jeff Keniston of Galesburg, Illinois; one sister: Martha Kurtz of Springfield, Illinois; 18 grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; four great-great-grandchildren; several nieces and nephews.

Preceded in death by: husband, George; two brothers: George Miller and Fred Miller; one sister: Stella Richardson; one granddaughter: Mary Lou Dulle and one great-grandson who died in infancy.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are encouraged to the Farber Baptist Church.