Nancy Jo Ellis

Nancy Jo Ellis (Owen), 83, died peacefully at Evergreen Community in Olathe, Kansas on March 9, 2025. She was born on August 13, 1941, in Maysville, Missouri to Harold “Joe” and Florence (Maddock) Owen. She grew up on a farm in Maysville and graduated from Maysville High School.

She was married to Danny D. Ellis. They started married life in Maryville, Missouri and lived in many cities over the next 13 years including Jefferson City, Missouri; Washington D.C.; Denver, Colorado; Sacramento, California; Pierre, South Dakota; Ames, Iowa; and Carmel, Indiana. In 1977, Nancy and family moved to Olathe, Kansas.

She held a wide variety of jobs while raising a family and going to school. Cosmetologist; income tax preparer for H&R Block; licensed daycare provider; foster parent; Custom Drapery Business, Design and Production; Tellsee preschool teacher; customer service at Data Documents, Automatic Data Processing; customer service with Levitz Furniture Store; sales coordinator Mid-America Container Corporation; school bus driver and instructor. As a school bus driver, she was able to drive and attend her children’s high school events. She won the local school bus Road-E O’s twice and placed in the top 10 in the state events.

She earned a B.A. in Management and Human Relations from MidAmerica Nazarene College in Olathe 1991. Also, Nancy obtained her embalming and funeral director licenses and worked at Meyerhofer-Fleeman Funeral Home in St. Joseph Missouri. Later, she worked as a funeral director at W. L. Frye & Son Mortuary & Crematory and eventually as manager. In later years, she earned her real estate license and sold residential properties with Coldwell Banker and Re/Max.

While working in Olathe, Nancy was an active volunteer in the community. She volunteered with children’s activities as a 4-H leader, Widowed Persons Service volunteer group for persons experiencing grief and loss, first aid instructor, American Businesswomen’s Association, president and vice president. She served with the Lions Club as member and officer. Also, she was a co-founder of the Olathe Santa Fe Trail Rotary Club and served as an active volunteer and officer with the Rotary Club. She happily served many years in the Olathe School District as a “SSS” – Senior Serving Schools and received a "Gold" Presidential Service Award for serving more than 500 volunteer hours in a single school year.

She was lifelong member of the Community of Christ. She said, “The Lord was my friend and comforter who always prepared the way and strengthened me for the task ahead.”

Personal motto, “I have never failed at anything, but I have had some darn good learning experiences.”

Nancy was preceded in death by her parents Harold “Joe” and Florence Owen, brother Stephen K. Owen, and her former spouse Danny D. Ellis. She is survived by her brother D. Nelson Owen (Diane), and sister Jeannie Owen (Sandy Griffin), daughter Terri Edwards (Michael), son Randy Ellis (Tina), son Don Ellis (Donna), and five grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

On Monday, March 31st at McGilley-Frye funeral home in Olathe, Kansas there will be Visitation starting at 9 am, Memorial service at 10 am, followed by a reception.

Later that same day, March 31st, at Turner-Bram Funeral Home in Maysville, Missouri Visitation will be at 4 pm with a Memorial service at 5 pm followed by burial in Oak Lawn Cemetery, Maysville, Missouri followed by a reception at the Maysville United Methodist Church.

If you wish to do so, donations can be made to:

Lions Club International, https://www.lionsclubs.org/en;

Rotary Club, https://my.rotary.org/en/donate;

Olathe Public Schools Foundations, 300 E. Loula Street, Olathe, KS 66061,

https://olathepublicschoolsfoundation.org/content/donate-now