Helen Blanche Campbell Ellis (Mrs. C. R. Ellis), 98, passed peacefully from this earthly life on Friday, April 3, 2009, at Hot Spring County Medical Center, with one of her faithful caregivers at her bedside.
Mrs. Ellis was born on August 11, 1910, in New Edinburg, Arkansas, the first daughter of Duncan Greer and Jennie Hunter Campbell. She grew up in the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in New Edinburg, becoming a Southern Baptist when she married. After graduating from Kingsland High School in 1926, she attended Arkansas A&M College (now University of Arkansas at Monticello), and received her teaching certificate. On May 22, 1936, she became the wife of Columbus Randolph Ellis to whom she was married for over 68 years until his death on March 5, 2005
After finishing Arkansas A&M College, Mrs. Ellis began teaching school, and continued teaching after Dr. Ellis and she married. Dr. Ellis taught school for five years after he finished Arkansas A&M in order to earn money to enter medical school at the University of Arkansas. Mrs. Ellis continued as a school teacher for a total of thirteen years. While Dr. Ellis was in medical school she switched to a job at the Arkansas Ordnance Plant and continued there until he finished both his medical degree and his internship. At that time they moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, where he did his residency. Dr. Ellis had entered the US Army while in medical school and when his residency was finished, he was sent to Officers Training School and then to Berlin, Germany. He returned to the United States just before the birth of their first child, Walter, in November of 1946.
The family moved to Malvern in 1948 where Dr. Ellis setup his medical practice out of an office attached to their home. Their second child, Marsha, was born in 1951. Malvern was home for the rest of their lives. Both were active in church—Dr. Ellis with music and teaching a men’s Sunday School class, and Mrs. Ellis teaching two- and three-year-olds in Sunday School. They both participated in the life of the community. While he became involved in Boy’s Club, Boy Scouts, and the Arkansas Medical Society, she became involved in PTA and taking care of the home front. Of course, this was in addition to her being the office manager, bookkeeper, and head nurse in his medical practice. He became president of the Arkansas Medical Society in 1964 and she was by his side. He was the camp doctor every summer for the Arkansas Baptist State Summer Camps, and she (with her typewriter, medical records to work on, and children in tow) was with him. He became Boy Scout Master of Troop 21 and was recipient of the Silver Beaver Award. All the while she was packing the supplies and camping gear for him to go to Camp Tula and Camp Max Beard. She was with him in every endeavor he undertook and in every award he received. They were both quite intelligent although they each believed that a combination of hard work and study, more than IQ, was the real solution to becoming educated. They were an unbeatable team characterized by their strong faith and individual relationships with Jesus Christ, an intense and protective love of family, an extremely high level of integrity, a love of their country—especially of Malvern and its people, an attitude of innocence toward life and trust of people even with their understanding of the presence of evil in the world, a child-like sense of wonder for everything having to do with Christmas, a profound appreciation for the beauty of God’s creation—whether it be something large like snow or small like a red bird, and a belief that children are God’s most precious gift—which could be seen in their expression of awe and almost exuberance at the sight of any child or baby. All of these traits continued to be seen in her life after Dr. Ellis’s death in 2005. Mrs. Ellis was also known throughout her life for her sweet and gracious spirit, her gentle but mischievous sense of humor, and her sensitivity to the hurts of anyone around her. These were noticed by her caregivers often in these last years, especially in her always being sure to say “thank you” for anything they did for her, in her tendency to worry about them and their well-being, and in her quick and infectious smile.
In addition to her loving husband, she was also preceded in death by her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Duncan G. Campbell; Dr. Ellis’s parents, Dr. and Mrs. Walter Sidney Ellis; three brothers, Greer and Crowell in infancy, and Dr. Leonard Hunter Campbell; three brothers-in-law, Oscar Frisby, Chester Holmes, and Al Ferguson; and Dr. Ellis’s brothers, sisters, and in-laws, Elise and Ray Tipton, Louise and Leroy Forte, Dorris Ellis, George Orlando and Louise Ellis, and Elizabeth Ellis.
She is survived by her devoted children, Walter Randolph Ellis of Tampa, Florida, and Marsha Ann Ellis and her husband William R. Smith of Louisville, Kentucky; her sisters Clara Holmes of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Jean Frisby of Warren, Arkansas, and Louise Ferguson of LaPorte, Texas; sister-in-law Doris Campbell Batts of Macon, Georgia; Dr. Ellis’s brother and sisters-in-law, Walter Edwin and Nancy Ellis of Searcy, Arkansas, and Wilma Ellis of Goodlettsville, Tennessee; grandchildren, Stephanie R. Smith and Greg Rudicill of Frisco, Texas, Noah J. Smith and Rechelle Christie of Arlington, Texas, and Aaron I. Smith of Irving, Texas; great-grandchildren, Kali Kelli Lewallen of Dallas, Texas, Sophia Rechelle Christie-Smith of Arlington, Texas, and Payton Siena Rudicill of Frisco, Texas; and many nieces and nephews and their families.
Mrs. Ellis’s funeral service will be at eleven o’clock on Good Friday morning, April 10, 2009, in the sanctuary of First Baptist Church, 531 South Main Street, Malvern, Arkansas, with Dr. William B. Tolar of Fort Worth, Texas, Dr. Charles W. Wright of North Little Rock, Arkansas, and Dr. Verne Wickliffe officiating. Burial will be beside her dear husband at Shadowlawn Cemetery in Malvern.
Pallbearers are Mike Bailey, Bob Banks, Dr. Mike Chesser, Dale Clem, Judge Mac Glover, Tom Lisenby, Darryel Massey, and Scott White. Honorary Pallbearers are Kermit Baker, Dr. Larry Brashears, Dr. Bruce Burton, George Green, Frank Mayton, Dixon Miller, members of Mrs. Ellis’ Sunday School Class, and members of the Local Medical Community.
The family will receive guests at the Ellis home on Main Streeton Thursday, April 9, from noon until five o’clock in the afternoon, with visitation at J. A. Funk Funeral Home from five o’clock until eight o’clock that evening.
The family would like to express deep appreciation to all who have ministered to both Dr. and Mrs. Ellis these past years—their Sunday School class members and all of their church family; Dr. Bruce Burton and his office staff; Dr. Larry Brashears; Dr. Ray Bollen; Dr. Bruce White; Dr. David Brewer; Dr. Joseph Lacava; Dr. James Braun; Judge Mac Glover; the nurses, doctors, all her physical therapists, and other staff of Hot Spring County Memorial Hospital; HSC Home Health nurses and caregivers, the staff of ProMed Ambulance Service; former patients of Dr. Ellis who have offered comfort and assistance; and all in the community who have given support to the Ellis family these last six years; with a special word of gratitude to Mrs. Louise White, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Mayton, Mrs. Louise Phillips, Mr. Tom Lisenby, Mrs. Lucy LeGrande, Mrs. Cyndie Massey, Mr. Jimmy Chandler; and with deep appreciation to our dear and precious Mrs. Florence Lindvall (our sweet “Tarnsie”) who has been part of our family for a lifetime.The family would also like to thank the in-home caregivers who took care of Dr. and Mrs. Ellis these last years—both past and present caregivers, with a special word of gratitude to those who were with Mrs. Ellis toward the end--Mrs. Joyce Loyd, Mrs. Clydia Fee, Mrs. Burta Nutt-Baker, and Mrs. Penny Washington.
The family is absolutely convinced that their mother lived as long as she did with quality of life because of the unsurpassed, never tiring, constant, meticulous, loving and tender care given by these selfless women. We will be forever grateful.And finally, we humbly give thanks to God for the blessing of having our sweet and loving Momma with us for these 98 years and 8 months.(A Personal Note: If Momma were here she would think that this has entirely too many words about her and her life, and she would want us to thank you for taking the time to read it. And we do thank you so much.)
Expressions of sympathy and memorial gifts may be given to the Library Fund at First Baptist Church, 531 South Main Street in Malvern, The American Cancer Society, or the American Heart Association.Online condolences may be sent to www.jafunkfuneralhome.com.
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