Woodrow Marion Ellis
1934-2022
Long time Edmond resident Woodrow Marion Ellis left this world for his eternal home.
Woodrow, known by his family and friends as W. M. was born June 4, 1934 on a farm near Meridian, Oklahoma. He passed away on July 19, 2022 in Edmond. He was 88 years young.
Preceding him in death was his bride of 55 years Leigh Myrtle Wiley Ellis, his parents Dudley and Theresa Ellis, his brother Dewitt Ellis, and his sister Anna Ellis Hughes and her husband Lloyd Hughes. W. M. is survived by his daughter Bonnie Hadaway and her husband Steve of Carney, Oklahoma; his son, Guy Ellis and his wife Laurel of Tryon, Oklahoma; and grandson Clinton Woodrow Ellis and his wife Brittney of Bethany. Also by many loving nieces, nephews, family and friends.
He attended schools in Meridian, Arcadia and later graduated Edmond High School in 1952. When W. M. was growing up he and his brother Dewitt had a pet bat named Jiggs and a dog named Bouser. He loved to read. Many times as a youth he would be inside reading novels that his aunts would give him instead of doing his chores. Farm chores usually consisted of rounding up the cows and milking, feeding chickens, gathering eggs, and working in the garden. W. M and his brother had summer jobs picking vegetables for a truck farmer or bailing and hauling hay for family and neighbors. They would trap possums and skunks then sell the hides for spending money. In high school W. M. worked at a Conoco filling Station pumping gas and later worked at Van’s Bakery wrapping bread and cinnamon rolls.
In his junior year of college, W. M. worked as a part-time student employee in the university’s print shop. He graduated Central State College (UCO) in 1956 with a bachelor’s degree in Economics. He also studied industrial arts and sociology. After graduation, he followed in his father’s footsteps and joined the U. S. Navy. Serving a 20 month tour, he spend most of his time as a supply officer in a fighter squadron on a Naval base in Alameda, California. He joined the Navy to “see the world,” but his unit never left California. When he was discharged, W. M. and a friend hitch hiked their way back home to Oklahoma.
After his return to Oklahoma, W. M. began a full time career as a printer. In 1958 he was a linotype operator for Clarence Turner and the Mountain View News in Mountain View, Oklahoma. He then returned to Edmond where he was employed by Central State College (aka UCO) as a printer-pressman. W. M. started his career on the linotype press. After 15 years on the linotype, he switched to an offset press. He printed UCO’s newspaper, “The Vista”, along with class schedules, catalogs and other large items. He enjoyed asking people if they knew what a linotype machine was. He retired from UCO in 1987, after 31 years of faithful employment.
Woodrow M. Ellis married the love of his life Leigh Myrtle Wiley in 1959 in Carney, Oklahoma on her grandfather, Sid Wheeler’s farm. He met Leigh while she was working at the college newspaper. By this time W. M. became an assistant printer. They were married 55 years before Leigh’s death in 2015.
- M. and Leigh’s first home was located west of UCO. It was close enough for them to walk to classes and to work. After a while they were tired of living in town and rented a farm in the country. Just before their son Guy was born, they bought a house. One that they would spend the rest of their lives making memories on.
- M. became a Master Mason at Edmond Lodge No. 37 and a 32nd degree Mason at the Guthrie Consistory. He enjoyed his retirement years by spending his time working crossword puzzles, reading western novels and history books, fishing, and gardening. In later years he enjoyed sitting on his porch and watching the birds and squirrels play in his yard.
Visitation will be on Friday, July 22nd from 5:00-8:00 P.M. with family present to greet friends from 5:00-7:00. Graveside Services will be at 10:00 A.M. on Monday, July 25th at Carney Cemetery in Carney, Oklahoma. Memorial Services will be at 10:00 A.M. on Thursday, July 28th at Victory Church, Edmond.