LeRoy Ellwood

LeRoy A. Ellwood, 99, of McPherson and Windom, Kansas, passed away on Tuesday, October 4, 2011, at his daughter's home in Meridian, ID.

LeRoy was born on May 4, 1912, in Windom, Kansas, the son of Ephraim and Ida Alice (Carlson) Ellwood. In 1922, the family moved to the Ellwood homestead near Windom. There, he put down roots and remained for most of his life.

On August 8, 1940, he was united in marriage to Frances Marshall in Cincinnati, Ohio, whom he had met eight years earlier through a pen pal page in a Methodist Sunday School paper. They celebrated 71 years of marriage.

Mr. Ellwood was a man of the soil. From 1934 to 2002, he harvested 68 wheat crops. He also owned and operated Ellwood Truck Service from 1937 to 2000, hauling sand and crushed rock for township roads and for the construction of grain elevators in Ellsworth, Windom, and Marquette.

He was a member of the First Baptist Church, McPherson, where he served three terms as deacon. He also served on the Windom School Board and Castle Township Board.

He is survived by his wife, Frances of the home; two daughters, Beverly Horn and husband, Dale, of Meridian, Idaho and Barbara Seaman and husband, Le, of Lawrence, Kansas; three grandchildren, Sherry Sheets of Homedale, Idaho, Lori Oekerman of Portland, Oregon, and Derek Seaman of San Diego, California; six great-grandchildren, Mandy Shenk, Wendy Wall, Shane Sheets, Daniel Oekerman, Nathan Oekerman, and Elizabeth Oekerman; and one great-great grandchild, Gwen Shenk. He was preceded in death by two sisters, Rose Lee Johnson and Ethelyn Bertrand, and a brother, Laverne Ellwood.

A graveside service will be held at 11:00 AM, Monday, October 10, 2011, at the Windom Cemetery with Pastor Les Cantrell officiating. The family will receive friends from 2:00 to 4:00 PM, Sunday, at Stockham Family Funeral Home.

Memorial donations may be given to the First Baptist Church in care of Stockham Family Funeral Home. To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of LeRoy Ellwood please visit our Sympathy Store.