Constance Louise "Connie" Ellis

BURLEY - Constance Louise (Connie) Ellis passed away peacefully at the home of her daughter and son-in-law, Chris and Sam Gillette, on Monday, May 5, 2014. She had just celebrated her 90th birthday a few months before.

Connie was born in Sioux City, Iowa, on Feb. 21, 1924. She was the only child of Anthony Joseph Kelleher and Gertrude Louise Mullins Kelleher. Connie’s parents were very poor throughout the Great Depression, and she was always a product of that upbringing. She was frugal and never required much in the way of material possessions. She attended Catholic school through the 8th grade, then Central High School in Sioux City, Iowa, where she was a cheerleader. Upon graduation, she went to work for AT&T Bell Telephone as a telephone operator. After leaving work one evening, she went with a friend to a local establishment and it was there that she met a handsome young pilot, LeRoy Ellis, who had recently returned from the fighting in Europe. When she was 20 years old, she boarded a train in Omaha, Neb., and traveled to Shoshone, Idaho, where she was met by her future in-laws. LeRoy and Connie were married on Dec. 19, 1944, in Jerome, Idaho. Their union was blessed with four children, Michael, Timothy, Christine, and Hal.

Connie was a typical mother and housewife of the 50s – she stayed home with the kids, cooked the meals, and belonged to the Country Club and several Bridge clubs. She was a Den Leader in Cub Scouts and active in her church. Later on, she brushed up on her secretarial skills and went to work for the Credit Bureau in Jerome. When she and LeRoy moved to Burley for his job, she started working at the Credit Bureau in Burley. She worked there for 30 years, until her retirement.

Connie and LeRoy had many friends and they enjoyed entertaining, golfing, fishing, camping and traveling throughout their marriage. They belonged to the same dinner club for more than 60 years. When LeRoy died, they had been married for 67 years. Theirs was a very special relationship.

Connie was preceded in death by her parents, Tony and Gertie Kelleher; and her husband, LeRoy. She is survived by her children, Mike (Judy) Ellis, Tim (Christine) Ellis, Chris (Sam) Gillette, and Hal (Kim) Ellis. Also surviving her is her sister-in-law, Gerie Meuser; and her grandchildren, Stephanie (Doug) Williams, Kali Gillette, Kevin (Mary) Ellis, Stephen Ellis, Michelle (Scott) Decker, Eric Ellis, Shane (Valerie) Ellis, Ryan Gillette, and Wendy (Travis) Treser. She had 13 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.

Special thanks to Mike, who has taken care of any needs Mom had for the past few years, and to Sam Gillette, who was her caregiver and companion for the past three months. The family would also like to thank Hospice Visions and Dr. Robert Ward for their compassionate care.

The funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Thursday, May 15, at the St. Therese Little Flower Catholic Church, 1601 Overland Ave., in Burley, with the Rev. Father Julio Vincente as celebrant.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of the Rasmussen Funeral Home of Burley.