Helen Colene Ellis
Service: Celebration of Life at 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 16, at Holt Memorial Chapel, with burial at Maplewood Cemetery; Visitation: 1-2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 16, at Holt Memorial Chapel.
Helen Colene Ellis was born Sept. 24, 1920, in Harrison, the daughter of Carl C. and Clara Beene Ellis. She departed this life on Saturday, Nov. 9 (2019) at the age of 99 years.
Colene lived most of her life in St. Louis, Missouri, where she was an elementary school teacher. She returned to Harrison in 1987 to care for her mother and retired there. She was a member of First Baptist Church in Harrison and was the last remaining person to have been baptized in the old tabernacle.
Colene was preceded in death by her parents Carl Casey Ellis and Clara Beene Ellis, and one sister, Jo Ellis Merrill.
She is survived by first cousins, Mary Jo Bentley, Brenda Beene Blankinship and Larry Beene; numerous second and third cousins; her long-time caregiver and friend, Betty Clark; and many other friends and acquaintances who will miss her greatly.
Colene was well read, well spoken, and stayed abreast of current events. Always quick with a comeback, she was fun to be around and a favorite of her cousins and friends. She loved working the daily crossword or sudoku puzzle, doing word searches, and playing dominoes. When she was in her 80s, she won so many games of Trivial Pursuit, Norma Cutler’s family finally gave up playing against her.
Colene was always patient with children. Every Christmas, her cousin Ben removed the bows from his packages and stuck them on Colene’s head. She never complained and never pulled them off until it was time to eat.
When she was teaching, Colene once had a student named Augie Busch. August Adolphus Busch IV would later become the CEO of Anheuser-Busch. As Colene told the story, Augie wasn’t a very good student, but even at age 7 was quite the negotiator. He promised Colene that he would have a 6-pack of her favorite beer delivered to her home each week if she would just refrain from telling his father he was failing first grade...did she like Busch or Budweiser? Good Baptist that she was, she informed him she did not drink beer.
After failing many driving lessons administered 20 years earlier by her cousin Cheri in a field on her grandmother’s farm, Colene finally learned to drive a car and got a driver’s license at 70 years of age.
Colene’s quiet generosity provided funding for The Beene Family Garden at Hillcrest Home, Project Zero, computerized white boards at Methodist Family Health, a music program for disadvantaged children through the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, and Arkansas Children's Hospital. She also supported Maplewood Cemetery, Crossroads Cemetery, AETN, the Salvation Army and Habitat for Humanity.
Colene served on the Maplewood Cemetery Perpetual Fund Committee, as “Sunshine” Chairman of her Sunday School class, and on the Calling Committee of 20th Century Club.
Those who knew her well knew that she loved hugs and tried to give her one every chance they could.
A celebration of her life will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 16, at Holt Memorial Chapel, with the Rev. Rob Davis officiating. Visitation is at the funeral home one hour before the service. Burial will be in Maplewood Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to Friends of Baker Prairie, Project Zero, or Habitat for Humanity.
