Maudie Irene (ELLARS) PRIEST

ELLARS, PRIEST, BRIGHT, MENKENS, MACEY, GIBSON, GOEDKEN, BROWN, BRAND, RIGSBY

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 4/27/2011 at 08:04:47

The Leon Journal-Reporter
Leon, Decatur County, Iowa
Thursday, January 05, 2011

OBITUARY ~ MAUDIE IRENE (ELLARS) PRIEST

Maudie Irene ELLARS, daughter of Clarence Riley and Opal Irene BRIGHT ELLARS, was born June 29, 1924, near Terre Haute in Burrell Township of Decatur County, Iowa. She attended several country schools and graduated from the eighth grade at the Woodmansee School. She attended Decatur High School until she married Willaim Harold PRIEST on May 25, 1940. Three children were born to this union: Clarence William (Sally) PRIEST of Osceola, Iowa; Janet Irene (Jim) MENKENS of Springfield, Missouri; and Darwin Lester PRIEST who was stillborn January 4, 1948.

Maudie and Bill engaged in the enterprise of farming on several farms in Decatur and Ringgold Counties. In 1962, they were employed by Decatur County to be steward and matron of the Decatur County Home. They continued their residence and tenure there until the facility was terminated in 1975.

Maudie was a homemaker-health aid for a few months until Union County hired them to be steward and matron of the Union County Care Facility. They continued there until that facility closed in 1984. They retired to their home in Leon, Iowa. They resided there for their retirement years until Bill's declining health necessitated living with Janet and Jim for extra care. Bill passed away April 1, 2003, and Maudie continued living with them after they moved to Springfield, Missouri.

Maudie attended the Leon Assembly of God [church] and the James River Assembly of God [church] in Springfield. She was a Sunday School teacher and also served as treasurer in Leon. Her love for her family was second only to her love for her Savior and Lord.

Preceding Maudie in death were her husband; her parents; and brothers Clarence Richard and Lyman Earl ELLARS.

Surviving to cherish her memory are her brother, Maurice REYNOLDS (special friend Lana MACEY) of Osceola, Iowa; her son and daughter, grandchildren Joy (David) GIBSON of Ankeny, Iowa; Joyce (Richard) GOEDKEN of Strawberry Point, Iowa; Michael (Cathy) PRIEST of Chariton, Iowa; Mark (Darla) PRIEST of Waterloo, Iowa; Joni PRIEST of Nashville, Tennessee; Brenda (Jerry) BROWN of Nevada, Missouri; and Douglas (Rene) BRAND of Rapid City, South Dakota. Great-grandchildren are Nathan, Jason, Rose, Luke, Emily, Jared, Cora, Maggie, Josph, Benjamin, Alaina, Daniel, Caleb, Michelle, Joel, Anthnoy, plus 10 great-great-grandchildren, three sisters-in-law, Eva ELLARS of Des Moines, Iowa, Fern PRIEST of Atlantic, Iowa, and Vickie RIGSBY of Rancho Cucamonga, California; many cousins and a host of friends.

[Interment at Leon Cemetery, Leon, Iowa.]

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, April of 2011