Rose Mary Ellis, 78, second of three daughters of Marce Presley Walthall and Mattie Rogillio Walthall, was born Nov. 4, 1929, at Houston, Texas. She died Jan. 3, 2008. She was a resident of Houston House Nursing Center.
She lived in Houston in her childhood, moving in her teens to small towns in southeast Texas. In 1948, the family settled in Texas City, Texas, where she graduated from high school and was an active member of Northside Baptist Church.
She studied opera for a few months in San Antonio before marrying and settling to raise her children. As her children grew up, she gained training in accounting and bookkeeping Living along the Texas coast fed her love for boating and seafood.
She was a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary while living in Seabrook, Texas.
After her children were grown, she moved to Kansas City, where her love of the open road led her to truck driving. She drove a big rig and her CB handle was “Texas Lady.” Her career started a friendship that resulted in marriage to Don Ellis.
They moved to his boyhood home of Licking. As the trucking slowed, she opened Ellis Accounting and Tax Service and became a member of the First Baptist Church in Licking. She served on the Texas County Baptist Association nominating committee and taught Sunday School each week for the last few years to nursing home residents in Licking.
She enjoyed crocheting.
She was preceded in death by her parents and sister, Vera Evelyn.
Surviving are her husband; children, Larry Wayne, Carol Elaine, Susan Annette and Jerri Lynn; sister, Marcella Williams of Kansas City; seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Memorial services were Jan. 7 at the First Baptist Church in Licking.
Cremation was under the direction of Elliott-Gentry-Carder Funeral Home of Cabool.
