Laurel Jewel Brown Ellis Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

Laurel Jewel Brown Ellis, died August 18, 2018, having celebrated her 103rd birthday on August 7. She was born August 7, 1915, the third of nine children of William Paul Brown and Georgia Holt Brown. She graduated Wynne High School at age 15, earned a teaching license from Arkansas State College at Jonesboro, and taught in a one-room school in the Jolly-Ellis Community and was a substitute for Wynne Public Schools for over 30 years. In 1935, she married her late husband, Berger Rivers Ellis, and they raised their three children, Riley Paul Ellis, Ira Berger Ellis, and Gloria Jewel Ellis Thomas on their rice and soybean farm. She has been blessed with nine grandchildren, twenty great-grandchildren, and seven great-great-grandchildren. Mrs. Ellis excelled as a homemaker, excellent cook, seamstress, and role model. She and her husband Berger were instrumental in building the Ellis Chapel Church, where she taught the adult Sunday School class into her 90’s. She was active in the local Home Demonstration Club, and served as a District Director for Arkansas. Later she worked in a children’s nutrition program through the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service for fourteen years. Mrs. Ellis loved to keep journals and read. Every day she wrote about her events of the day, studied her bible and read three to four books a week from the library. A five-time cancer survivor, Mrs. Ellis remained an inspiration to others with her strong faith and positive attitude, and was a very special blessing to all her family, friends and community. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband of fifty-six years Berger, her son Ira and her daughter-in-law, Barbara Ann Davis Ellis and her siblings Carson Lee Brown, William Paul Brown, Doyl E. Brown, Beryl Thomas, Mildred Bostic and Doris Kerksieck. She is survived by son, Riley Paul Ellis; daughter, Gloria Jewel Ellis Thomas; daughter-in-law, Diana Ellis; grandchildren Donna (Pete IV) Imboden; Robin Ellis; Lori (Alan) Taggart; Merikay (Watty) Campbell; Paul (Dallas) Ellis; Stephanie (Michael) Stevens; Phil (Donna) Ellis; Chris (Lisa) Ellis; and Tony (Amanda) Ellis; great-grandchildren Pete (Cara), Ali, Harrell, Lyle, Beau, Kade, Tori, Hayden, Clinen, Riley, Parker, Tucker, Tyler, Zachary, Aundrea, Madelyn, Caleb, Chelsea, Cole and Sydney; great-great-grandchildren Ava, Jayden, Monroe, Addlee, Ellis, Aubrey, Wheeler and Whitley; and siblings Richard (Imogene) Brown and Nina Spencer. Visitation will be held on Monday, August 20, 2018 from 6 to 8 PM at Kernodle Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, August 21, 2018 at 10 AM with burial in Ellis Chapel Cemetery. Memorials can be made to Ellis Chapel Methodist Church, Ellis Chapel Cemetery or Cross County Library.

Tributes

Laurel Jewel Brown Ellis

August 7, 1915 - August 18, 2018