Rance W. Ellis Obituary
Celebration of Life for Rance William Ellis, age 86, of Mangum, Oklahoma will be at 1:00 p.m., Wednesday, August 3, 2022, at the Red River Cowboy Church, 1001 North Byers Avenue, Mangum, Oklahoma with Pastor Darrell Coffman officiating. Inurnment will be held on the family ranch at a later date. Services are under the direction of Jackson Funeral Home of Frederick, Oklahoma. Mr. Ellis passed away on Tuesday, July 26, 2022, at his home in Mangum.
Rance William Ellis was born on September 20, 1935, in Vinson, Oklahoma to Mose Ross and Mary Adele (Quinn) Ellis. He attended Vinson Public School, graduating from Vinson High School in 1954. Rance was united in marriage to Phyllis Jean Maples on January 11, 1956, at the First Baptist Church in Sayre, Oklahoma. After high school, he moved to Pampa, Texas where he was employed by Harvester Grain Elevator. He relocated to Levelland, Texas, and did farm work for a period of time. He then worked as a truck driver in Ropesville, Texas. He later moved to Dalhart, Texas where he worked at various farms prior to his employment with the Bob Meeks Hereford Ranch. After his father's heart attack, Rance returned home to take care of the family ranch. A year later he moved to Four Way, Texas where he worked for the Weymouth Ranch, prior to returning home to Greer County and working for Republic Gypsum while starting his Hereford herd. Rance enjoyed the outdoors; he loved roping and watching rodeos, and raised several bulls for breeding stock and bucking stock. He enjoyed hunting for Indian arrowheads and had an extensive collection. The Biggest source of pride for Rance was running the farm and ranch that his great-grandad, W. D. Ellis settled in1898.
He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Jean Ellis of the home; his children, Lynn Ellis of Mangum, Oklahoma, Marcheta Pence and her husband Greg of Reed, Oklahoma, Rhonda Kesterson and her husband David of Port Hueneme, California, and John Ellis and his wife Angie of Chattanooga, Oklahoma; Five brothers, Jim Ellis and his wife Wanda of Panhandle, Texas, Kent Ellis of Mangum, Oklahoma, Clinton Ellis of Clinton, Oklahoma, Carl Ellis and his wife Brenda of Vinson, Oklahoma and Randy Ellis and his wife Flossie of Crescent, Oklahoma; one sister, Shirley Derby and her husband Delbert of Clinton, Oklahoma; nine grandchildren, Brooke Kirby and her husband Jeremy, Katie Thornton and her husband Taylor, Makenna Kesterson, Will Ellis, Cade Kesterson Dustie Pence, Ethan Ellis, John Kesterson, and Ben Ellis; five great-grandchildren, Jackson Kirby, Charlee Kirby, Talula Kirby, Rance Thornton, and Ellis Thornton; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and many friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Mose and Adele Ellis; one son, William Rance Ellis; two brothers, Alvin Ellis and Clayton Ellis; and one sister Nancy Hayes.
