Lynn Ellis Obituary

Lynn Edward Ellis, 87, passed away peacefully on September 4, 2018 in Cortez, Colorado. He was born in Womack, Missouri on October 23, 1930 to Herbert T. Ellis and Mamie A. McDuffee. Lynn served in the Marine Corps and was stationed in Alaska and Camp Pendleton, California. He married Donna L. Hare and they later divorced. Lynn had many jobs throughout his life. He was a cook, a milkman, had a laundry business, was a repairman, and had a tree trimming business along with a few others. He was shot during a deer hunt in Kanosh, UT and taken to the VA hospital in Salt Lake which forced his family to move from Independence, CA to Grantsville, UT in 1960 where he became known as the "Bee Man" and had several hundred hives that he harvested the honey from to sell. In 1975 he married Lola Jane Lance and they moved to Cortez, Colorado to live on a ranch where he loved to hunt, fish, make sausage, harvest honey and shoot prairie dogs. His favorite past time was going to the auction, "to buy a fat hog" for making sausage, or wondering his pasture with a comb in his back pocket so as he visited his cows he could comb their hair. He was generous to a fault and so kind and caring to everyone. He never met a stranger he wouldn't help.

Lynn is preceded in death by his wife, Lola; his parents, Herbert and Mamie Ellis; his brothers, Thomas W., Calvin H. (Tab) and Forrest E.; his sisters, Mary Christine and Virginia; two step-daughters, Louise Combs and Patsy. Lynn is survived by one sister, Maxine Rogers; his children, Steve (Dot) Ellis, Penny Searcy, Roger (Lisa) Ellis and Tammy (Richard) Perkins; his step-children, Mike (Pat) Tulio, Joannie Jones, Sheila Betts, and Rick (April) Tulio; and many grandchildren, great grandchildren and great great grandchildren as well.

A special thank you to the staff at the Vista Mesa Assisted Living Center and to Rick and April Tulio for all the love and extra support you gave Lynn.

Services are being handled through Ertel Funeral Home. To send condolences or to view the full obituary, log on to www.ertelfuneralhome.com and click on the obituary section.

A graveside service will be held at 10 a.m. on Monday, September 17, 2018 at Cortez Cemetery. Military Honors will be conducted by the Veterans of Montezuma County.