Obituary: Reta Mae Ellis

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11/29/1933 – 1/12/2025
De Soto

Services for Reta Mae Ellis, 91, De Soto, will be held at 10:00 a.m. Friday, January 17, 2025, at Warren-McElwain Mortuary in Lawrence.  The family will greet friends from 6-8 p.m. Thursday, January 16, 2025, at the mortuary.  Burial will follow the service at Memorial Park Cemetery in Lawrence.

Reta was born November 29, 1933, in De Soto, Kansas the daughter of Orville and Trula (Moody) Welch.

She graduated from De Soto High School in 1953.  She was a member of the De Soto Baptist Church, VFW Auxiliary-lifetime, Pinocle Club and Square dance club.  She loved quilting, all types of crafts and painting.

She married James “Jim” Ellis, Sr. on August 16, 1953, in Linwood, Kansas.  He survives of the home.

Other survivors include her children, James “Jim” Ellis, Jr. (Ginnie), Lawrence, Linda Sue Conrad, De Soto, eight grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her son, Robert Ellis, brothers Bob Welch and Lonnie Kilgore.

Memorial contributions may be made to Sweetwater Christian Fellowship 60 Garms Circle Smith, NV 89430 swchristianfellowship.org

For more information or to post a condolence go to warrenmcelwain.com.

Note: The Lawrence Times is offering Lawrence and Douglas County community members space to publish remembrances of loved ones who lived in this community, free of charge. These pieces are submitted by family and friends of the deceased and not written by our staff. Photos are also provided to the publication, and some may have been altered prior to submission. Read more obituaries here.

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