Ellen Akers Roman

ELLEN MARIE, WAS KNOWN BY HER FAMILY AND CLOSE FRIENDS AS “REE”, SHORT FOR MARIE, SHE WAS THE FIRST GIRL BORN OF SEVEN CHILDREN TO HARRY THOMAS AND MAUDE ELLEN AKERS IN MAITLAND, VA. PRECEEDED BY HER TWO HUSBANDS, THOMAS HARLAN ROMAN OF 20 YEARS AND HER FIRST HUSBAND, SHERMAN JAMES PURCELL OF 25 YEARS OF LEBANON, VA AND HER TWO BROTHERS, WINFRED MARCUS “JACK”, and CHARLES AUGUSTUS “SMOKEY” AKERS BOTH FROM JACKSONVILLE, FL. ALSO, TWO SISTERS, JUNE REBECCA TOZER AND HER HUSBAND ALFRED TOZER OF MARION, OH, AND VIRGINIA AMONATA “ANNE” FIFE AND HUSBAND THOMAS FIFE OF BLUEFIELD, W. VA AND MYRTLE BEACH, SC, AND HER SON-IN-LAW, RICHARD SCOTT SPENCE OF SALEM, VA AND DESTIN, FL, SISTER-IN-LAW, JUANITA FAIN AKERS OF BLUEFIELD, VA, BROTHER-IN-LAW, NICHOLAS GIANFORCARO OF COLUMBUS, OH.

SURVIVING HER IS HER OLDER BROTHER HARRY THOMAS “PETE” AKERS, JR., OF BLUEFIELD, VA, AND THE YOUNGEST SISTER, PHYLLIS JEAN GIANFORARO, OF COLUMBUS, OH. HER FIVE CHILDREN, GAYLA PURCELL SPENCE OF DESTIN, FL, PATRICIA ANNE PRIVETTE OF ROCK HILL, SC, JAMES BLAKELY “TIM” PURCELL OF CHARLOTTE, NC, SHERMAN DREXEL PURCELL OF LAKE NORMAN, NC, AND JOYCE ELLEN GREEN, AND SON-IN-LAW, WENDELL KEENER GREEN. OF GEORGIA.

ALSO SURVIVING HER ARE 5 GRANDCHILDREN: BRIAN SCOTT SPENCE AND WIFE MEMORI DEAN SPENCE OF PANAMA CITY BEACH, JUSTIN BLAKE SPENCE of PENSACOLA, FL, ERICA PURCELL OF CHARLOTTE, NC, CHRISTOPHER WENDELL GREEN, AND MATTHEW RYAN GREEN AND WIFE JULIE CUSAMONO GREEN OF GEORGIA.

SURVIVING ALSO ARE 6 GREAT GRANDCHILDREN: LARSEN COLE SPENCE AND ELLA DEAN SPENCE OF SEACREST BEACH, FL, KASON MATTHEW AND TAYLOR ANN GREEN OF GEORGIA, AND BRAELIN WENDELL GREEN ALSO OF GEORGIA.

ELLEN HAS 13 NIECES AND 9 NEPHEWS AND 13 GRAND NIECES AND 13 GRAND NEPHEWS FROM VA, WVA, NC, SC, GA, FL ,OH, CO, ALASKA.

SHE WAS MARRIED TO AN ARMY VETERAN AND ALL OF HER BROTHERS, BROTHERS IN LAW WERE ALL NAVY, EXCEPT FOR ONE IN THE AIR FORCE, AND HER TWO SONS SERVED AS WELL, AND HER SON IN LAW. HER GENERATION SERVED THIS COUNTRY WELL AND MADE AMERICA WHAT IT IS TODAY. WE OWE THEM ALL A GREAT DEAL FOR THEIR STRENGTH, COURAGE, SUPPORT AND SACRIFICE. OUR FREEDOM TODAY IS BUILT ON THEIR LOVE OF AMERICA, HONOR AND “LET’S GET THE JOB DONE” ATTITUDE. WE NEED TO HONOR THEIR SACRIFICE, DAILY BY BEING GOOD CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTRY TO KEEPING IT GREAT FOR OUR CHILDREN.

ELLEN MARIE HAD MANY INTERESTS AND TALENTS, SHE NEVER SEEMED TO SIT AND BE QUIET. SHE STARTED OUT WITH CLASSES IN BOOKKEEPING AT MCCLAINS BUSINESS SCHOOL, WHICH SERVED HER WELL LATER ON IN THE RUNNING OF THEIR 7 STORES IN VA,( 2 DEPARTMENT STORES, AND 5 SHOE STORES -THE ORIGINAL “PIC ‘N PAY” RACK SHOE TYPE), ALL WHILE RAISING 5 CHILDREN AND STAYING HOME. ELLEN ENJOYED SEWING, PAINTING A ROOM, ORGANIZING, AND AN ARTIST, BUT BUILDING THINGS FROM CONCRETE, WOOD, OR WHATEVER TO CREATING THINGS AND DESIGNING NEW IDEAS SHE HAD TO MAKE HER LIFE EASIER WAS HER “PASSION”. SHE LIVED A FULL AND ACTIVE LIFE AND SHE WILL BE MISSED FOR HER FUN PERSONALITY, HER LAUGHTER, QUIRKY INVENTIONS, AND STRONG WILL, BY FAMILY AND ALL WHO NEW HER. HER HUSBAND USE TO SAY, COME OVER FOR DINNER AND MEET MY WIFE, IT WILL BE “AN EXPERIENCE” ! WITH LOVING MEMORIES TO A “ONE-OF-A-KIND LADY THAT WILL BE IN OUR THOUGHTS FOREVER TO THOSE THAT KNEW AND LOVED HER.