Vern Herschel Ellis, 75, of Quincy, died at 3 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2009, at his home.
He was born in Richmond, Ind., on July 21, 1934, a son of the late John Garton and Emma Louise Burgess Ellis.
On Aug. 21, 1983, he married the former Eulalia H. Goode in DeGraff and she preceded him in death Oct. 12, 1996. He also was preceded in death by two brothers, John Ellis and his twin, Vaughn Herbert Ellis; three sisters, Una V. Ziegler, LouAnn Lair and Janet K. Hathaway.
He married Pamela L. Payne on Dec. 19, 1998, in Urbana, and she survives, along with step daughters, Misty (Mike) Peltier, of Rosewood, and Angela Walters of North Lewisburg; step sons, Michael (Betsy) Silvers of Botkins and Eric Moore of St. Paris; four brothers, Omar F. Ellis of Nathalie, Va., William R. Ellis of Crowfordsville, Ind., George R. Ellis of Coldspring, Texas, and Paul D. Ellis of Richmond; three sisters, Mary A. Ellis, Jane Johnson and Cecelia (Lou) Spicer, all of Richmond; and 15 step grandchildren.
A 1954 graduate of Richmond High School and a U.S. Army veteran, he was a signal operator for the Pennsylvania Railroad and a security guard for Acrux. He enjoyed trains, clocks and his family.
A funeral begins at 4 p.m. Saturday at the Rexer-Riggin-Madden Funeral Home, DeGraff, where calling is two hours prior.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society.
