Mrs. Stella M. Ellis

Stella Mae Beasley Ellis was born May 12, 1933, to Lillian and Nathaniel Beasley in Chickasha, Oklahoma, a town of less than 10,000 inhabitants at the time, 43 miles southwest of Oklahoma City. This is where the earth is red, black gold lies beneath and spending nights in the root cellar because of tornadoes was a common occurrence. The family included older brother Lester, who loved fishing and would chase little Stella with night crawlers and crawdads from his fishing tackle box. Older sister Pearlie would convince young Stella to catch, kill, pluck, and fry a chicken, before their mother made it home from work! What memories to be had from Chickasha, Oklahoma. Stella's teen years included involvement with church, as well as an education from Lincoln High School where dreams of boys, marriage, and career began to blossom. Stella was a cheerleader and the Homecoming Queen in her senior year of high school. After graduating in 1952, and moving to Kansas City, Missouri to stay with her cousin, Opal Garrett, there was a chance meeting at a dance in 1953, where she locked eyes with the handsome Price Ellis! The rest of that story is for another time. Stella Mae Beasley, became Mrs. Stella Ellis in 1954 and from their union, four children were born, Stephen (wife Kim and granddaughter Nia), Stanley (deceased), Vivian, and Valerie (grandson Jourdan). After initially being a “stay at home mom” Stella joined the labor force in 1964 and began working at Southwestern Bell, which became Western Electric, which became AT&T, which became Alcatel, which finally became Lucent Technologies. She worked there for more than thirty years and retired when the plant closed. Stella earned an undergraduate degree in business. Her business and community involvement included working with ABWA (American Business Women’s Association) and volunteering with City Union Mission in service throughout the Kansas City Missouri metropolitan area. Since accepting Christ as her personal savior at a young age, Stella knew that was just the beginning of her Christian journey. Faith in God, and local church work became the foundation of life when Stella supported her husband Price Ellis, as he began a ministry, which lasted over sixty years. Shiloh Baptist Church, St. Stephen Baptist Church, and Cleveland Avenue Baptist Church were among local churches in which Stella belonged and served. Over the past 44 years, Stella Ellis had been involved in an array of organizations within Cleveland Avenue Baptist Church. She served as a Sunday school teacher, in Women's Mission Ministry, Ministers and Deacons Wives’ Ministry, in the Spirit of Inspiration Choir and a variety of other auxiliaries. Each morning as Stella awakened, she would talk with God. Thanking Him for keeping us as we slept, and for leading us during the day. Stella’s hobbies and interests included attending church, cooking, sewing, reading (i.e., Stephen King’s books), crossword puzzles, Sudoku puzzles, golfing, baseball, tennis, Boomer Sooner football, women’s track and field as well as traveling. She has traveled to Mexico, Canada, the countries of the Holy Land, Egypt, Germany, France, Italy and several countries of the Caribbean Islands. As for travel within the United States, the only states she has not spent time in are North and South Dakota, Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire. Stella is preceded in death by her parents Lillian and Nathaniel Beasley, her brother Lester, her sister Pearlie, her husband Price, and her son Stanley. Celebrating her life are her son, Stephen (Kim), daughters, Vivian, and Valerie, grandchildren, Nia, and Jourdan, a host of nephews, nieces, cousins, other relatives, current, and former members of Cleveland Ave Baptist Church, St. Stephen Baptist Church, Shiloh Baptist Church, friends, neighbors, and former co-workers. Thank you, Mother. May the Lord bless you and keep you; may the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you; may the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace, this day and forever more. Amen. Funeral Services will be held on Friday, November 8, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. (today) at Cleveland Avenue Baptist Church 2853 Cleveland Avenue KCMO 64128. Interment: Leavenworth National Cemetery. Visitation: 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. at the Church. Arrangements entrusted to Lawrence A. Jones & Sons Funeral Chapels. Condolence may be shared on our website lawrenceajones.com

Mrs. Stella M. Ellis

May 12, 1933 - October 27, 2024