Mabel Ellis

Mabel Ellis, 96, of Sioux City passed away Thursday, May 17, 2007, at her home at North Park Retirement Community in Sioux City.

Services will be 10 a.m. Monday at St. Thomas Orthodox Church. Burial will be in Graceland Park Cemetery. Visitation will be 4 to 7 p.m. today, with the family present 5 to 7 p.m. and a Trisagion service at 7 p.m., followed by an Order of the Eastern Star service, at Anderson-Perasso Funeral Home.

Mabel Ellis was born on Aug. 10, 1910, in Sioux City, the daughter of Moses and Adel (Stevens) Lamone. She was a lifelong resident of Sioux City with the exception of several years as a child in Towando and Wichita, Kan. She was in the second graduating class of the then new East High School in 1929, which later became East Middle School.

She married Lester Ellis on June 25, 1933, in Sioux City. They were married for 68 years at the time of his death in August 2001. She was employed by an insurance company shortly after graduation from high school. In 1948, she and her husband owned and operated Ellis Insurance Agency until they both retired in 1971.

She was a lifetime member of St. Thomas Orthodox Church in Sioux City and its oldest member. She was a member of the Ladies Society and served in various offices including president and secretary. She was instrumental in the organization of the church choir and its Sunday school and was one of the original members of the church choir from its inception in 1933. In February 1995, she and two other original choir members, the late Mose Yanney and his sister, Josephine Samore, were honored for their 62 years of actively singing in the choir.

She was active in Sunday school, both as a teacher and superintendent, retiring from the Sunday school after 44 years. She received a certificate of meritorious service from the archdiocese three times for her work both in the Sunday school and choir.

Mrs. Ellis was a charter member of the Sioux City Insurance Women's Association (now the Siouxland Association of Insurance Women), serving in various offices including president and was named Miss Insurance in 1961. She was a regional director of the National Association of Insurance Women, International. She was a 50-plus year member of Azure Chapter of the Order of Eastern Star and was a past matron and secretary. She was a member of the Shrine Auxiliary and the Siouxland Senior Center, having sung in its chorus. She was a precinct election worker for more than 30 years. She enjoyed gardening, crocheting and find-a-word puzzles.

Survivors include her son, George and his wife, Linda; a grandson, Joshua and his wife, Michelle and great-granddaughters, Anika and Bethanny; a granddaughter, Nicole; a great-granddaughter, Jasmyn, all of Fargo, N.D.; a brother, Raymond Lamone of Wichita, Kan.; two sisters, Esther Henry and her husband, Richard of Wichita, and Mona Kaleel and her husband, George of Amboy, Ill.; special friend, Esther McDaniels of Sioux City; and many cousins.

She was preceded in death by her parents and stepmother, Rosa; two sisters, Josephine Lamone and Amelia Shaheen; a brother, George Lamone; a nephew, Raymond Shaheen; and special friends, Georgia Jacobs and Josephine Samore.

Pallbearers will be Josh Ellis, Allan David, Mel David, George Jacobs, Don Hanna and Phil Hanna.