Robert "Bob" Oscar Ellis

Robert “Bob” O. “Red” Ellis, 90, of Gardner, KS, passed away December 16, 2013 at Vintage Park – Gardner. Robert was born March 5, 1923 in Cuba, IL to Carl Miller and Winnie Flow (Harris) Ellis. He grew up in Illinois, graduating from Farmington High School in 1941. Bob was preceded in death by his parents, wife, Stella in 2006, daughters, Sylvia Moore and Joy Ellen Stone and brother, Carl Harris Ellis.

Bob worked on the farm until getting drafted into the Army in 1943. He was discharged in 1946 and then later re-entered the service during the Korean Conflict with the Navy. After two and a half years, he was sent to a Naval Air Station in Olathe, KS where he met his future wife. Bob married Stella Frances Byrd on January 14, 1956, in Kansas City, MO. He worked in civil service as a heavy equipment operator for Olathe Naval Air Station, Richards-Gebaur and then Ft. Leavenworth, retiring in 1987. Bob attended the Gardner Friends Church and was a member of the Gardner Masonic Lodge #65, American Legion, VFW, Enlisted Association of America and the Navy Seabee Veterans of America. He will be dearly missed by family and friends.

He is survived by his daughter, Mary Lucille and husband Ronnie Chambers of Jonesboro, AR; sister, Virginia Flo Glad of Canton, IL; grandchildren, Michael Stone (Rita), Sylvia Strawbridge (Paul), Beth Gibson (Todd), and Cheryl Chambers. And several great and great-great grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, December 21, 2013 at Emerson Funeral Home with Mike Martin officiating and the United States Navy providing Military Honors. Burial will follow at Jonesboro Memorial Park with Active Pallbearers being; Hunter Gibson, Mathew Strawbridge, Michael Stone, Jason Stone, Ralph Seay, and Pete Barker. Visitation will be prior to the service at 10:00 a.m. Memorial contributions may be made to the Gardner American Legion.