Lena Ellis (Bolivar)'s Obituary
Lena Ellis, 101, passed away peacefully on Monday, Nov. 9, 2015.
Lena was born on October 3, 1914, near Fair Play to Finis and Ella (Phillips) Watkins. She earned dual degrees in Business Education and Home Economics from Missouri State. Lena married William (Bill) Ellis in 1947 and together they taught in high schools in Golden City, Louisiana, and St. Charles, Mo. Upon retirement they settled near family in Bolivar, having built the home Lena loved. Lena was a life-long Baptist.
Lena was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Bill; her brothers Orville and Floyd Watkins; and her sisters-in-law Luella Cox and Pauline Watkins.
Survivors include her nephews, John (Janet) of Fort Worth, TX and Steve (Jill) Cox of Springfield and their families; her second cousin and caregiver, Sharon Garretson of Bolivar and family; her sisters-in-law Louise and Aileene Ellis of Springfield; her brother-in-law Joe Cox of Springfield, and several cousins. She is also remembered by the hundreds of students whose lives she touched in over four decades of teaching.
If desired, memorials may be made to the Floyd A. Watkins scholarship fund at the University of Missouri that benefits agriculture students from Polk County.
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