Myron Ellis

Myron Ellis, 94, of rural Parsons, died Tuesday evening, October 7, 2014, at his home. He was born October 25, 1919 on a farm near Shaw, Kansas to Robert J. and Blanche (Debler) Ellis. As a young boy, he attended several country schools and one year at Erie High School. He worked as a farm-hand and on various short-term jobs until the fall of 1941. At that time, he went to work for the contractor building the Kansas Army Ammunition Plant in Parsons. In February of 1942, he entered the United States Army. He served as a Sergeant in charge of a fifteen-man machine gun squad while with the 123rd Infantry Regiment of the 33rd Infantry Division in Dutch New Guinea, British New Guinea, the Philippines, and a couple of months with the Army of Occupation in Takarazuka, Japan. Upon his honorable discharge, he was awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert Infantryman, American Service Medal, American Defense Service Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Service Medal, Philippine Liberation Ribbon with 1 Bronze Service Star, WWII Victory Medal, Bronze Star Medal, and the Army of Occupation (Japan) and Philippine Presidential Unit Citation. After returning home, he was ill with malaria requiring treatment. He then moved to California where the climate was more favorable. On June 1, 1946, he married Helen Margaret McCall of St. Paul, Kansas at the Old Mission Church in San Juan Capistrano, California. In October of 1946, they returned to Kansas where he was employed by a road construction company that worked in various locations including Erie, Liberty, Coffeyville, Independence, Winfield and Topeka, all in Kansas; Pleasant Hill, Carrolton, Waynesville, Knob Noster and Kansas City, all in Missouri; and Irving and the Dallas area in Texas. He also worked on the Garrison Dam while in North Dakota. In August of 1959, he and Helen purchased a farm outside of Parsons where they have lived through the present date. After coming to Parsons, he worked at two missile silo locations, for a construction company on the renovation of the Ammunition Plant, Rapalino Implement Company, and Elliott Implement, later Perrier Implement, until retiring in December of 1985. He was a life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, and the 33rd Division Association. For years, he was active in the VFW holding several offices. After retirement, he took on the task of mending the large flag which flies in front of the Post. In 2010, Myron was invited to the national celebration where he was honored to offer the official toast at the Birthday Ball for the 235th birthday of the United States Army. Survivors include his wife, Helen Ellis, of the home; one son, John Ellis, St. George, UT; three daughters, Margie Ramsey, Parsons, KS, Sharon Ellis and Barbara Ellis, both of Springfield, VA; eight grandchildren, Brandon Ellis and his wife, Andria, Tom Ellis, Doug Ramsey and his wife, Sweta, Mike Ramsey and his wife, Jessica, Alex Ellis, Melanie Ramsey Neighbor and her husband, Marc, Kathie Ramsey Esposito and her husband, Joe, and Samantha Marcroft; and ten great-grandchildren, Chloe Neighbor, Jonas Ramsey, Atticus Ramsey, Mike Ramsey, Jr., Isabella Ramsey, Katie Florence, Kailee Ramsey-Westhoff, Ashton Esposito, Kaden Esposito, and Mattie Ellis. He was preceded in death by two sons, James Myron Ellis, on June 19, 2001, and Stan Ellis, on October 26, 2010; a son-in-law, Richard Ramsey, on July 25, 2000; a grandson, Bobby Ellis, on July 13, 2012; a great-granddaughter, Raylen Ramsey, on December 15, 2000; and four brothers, Warren Ellis, Morris Ellis, and two infants. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, October 11, 2014 at the Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home in Parsons. Burial will be in Mt. Olivet Cemetery with military honors given by Brown-Bishop Post No. 704, Veterans of Foreign Wars. The family will receive friends from 7-8:00 p.m., Friday, at the funeral home. Memorials are suggested to Brown-Bishop Post No. 704, Veterans of Foreign Wars in Parsons or St. Patrick Catholic Church. These may be left at or mailed to Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home, P.O. Box 374, Parsons, KS 67357. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Myron Ellis, please visit our flower store.