NAME: RALPH DUKE ELLIS, AGE 90, A LONGTIME ATOKA AREA RESIDENT.

BORN: JULY 20, 1913 AT PHILLIPS, OK TO HENRY AVNER, M.D. AND KATY (JONES) ELLIS.

PASSED AWAY: THURSDAY, MARCH 11, 2004 AT THE MCALESTER REGIONAL HEALTH CENTER. AGE: 90 YEARS 7 MONTHS AND 21 DAYS

EDUCATION: DUKE ATTENDED MOYERS, PLEASANT VALLEY, DAISY, SAVANNAH, AND PITTSBURG SCHOOLS. HE GRADUATED IN 1933. HE ALSO ATTENDED EASTERN OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY ON A FOOTBALL SCHOLARSHIP AND GRADUATED WITH AN ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE.

MARRIED: MILDRED BAYLESS ON JUNE 3, 1939 AT MCKINNEY, TX.

OCCUPATION: DUKE WAS A RANCHER AND CATTLEMAN AND WAS ALSO A MACHINIST BY TRADE. HE WORKED MANY YEARS FOR DIFFERENT EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS IN ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN. HE ALSO WORKED AS UNDERSHERIFF OF ATOKA COUNTY WITH SHERIFF OTTO HEMBREE. HE SERVED ON THE DAISY BOARD OF EDUCATION FROM 1952 TO 1958, AND WAS ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE TRAIL RIDERS ASSOCIATION. HE WORKED ON THE RE-EVALUATION OF ATOKA COUNTY FROM 1968 TO 1970, AND SERVED ON ATOKA COUNTY EXCISE BOARD FOR 7 YEARS. HE ALSO SERVED ON THE STRINGTOWN CITY COUNCIL AND HELPED TO GET RURAL WATER TO STRINGTOWN, AND HE SERVED ON THE ASCS BOARD.

CHURCH AFFILIATION: DUKE WAS A LONGTIME MEMBER OF THE MCGEE VALLEY BAPTIST CHURCH.

HE WAS ALSO A MEMBER OF THE MASONIC LODGE #4 AF AND AM AT ATOKA.

SURVIVED BY

SON: GEORGE PERRY ELLIS AND WIFE MARY KATHRYN OF KIOWA, OK.

GRANDDAUGHTERS: KATHY JO STIPE AND HUSBAND PHILLIP OF MCALESTER, OK. CINDY KAY HESS AND HUSBAND LANCE OF PITTSBURG, OK.

GRANDSON: JOHNNY RAY ELLIS OF PITTSBURG, OK.

GREAT GRANDSON: JAMES PHILLIP STIPE OF MCALESTER, OK.

SISTER: CLARA MAE COVINGTON AND HUSBAND BILL OF BORON, CA.

NEPHEWS: JERRY NEIL ELLIS AND WIFE SUSIE OF ENGLAND. NATHAN NEIL ELLIS, JR. AND WIFE BRENDA OF HOUSTON, TX.

PRECEDED IN DEATH BY

WIFE: MILDRED ON OCTOBER 4, 2001. SON: JOHN JOHNNY RALPH ELLIS. PARENTS: H. A. AND KATY ELLIS. SISTER: LUCILLE FREDERICK. BROTHERS: BRYANT H. ELLIS AND WIFE NEVADA. PERCY ELLIS. NATHAN N. ELLIS.

DATE OF SERVICES: SATURDAY, MARCH 13, 2004 AT 2:00 PM PLACE OF SERVICES: GRAVESIDE.

INTERMENT: OAK HILL CEMETERY ~ MCALESTER, OK.

OFFICIATING: REV. FRANK COUCH.

CASKETBEARERS: (MEMBERS OF THE MASONIC LODGE #4) NATHAN SELF, DALE EAGAN, PAUL SMITH, ARTIE STAGGS, JIM TURNER, HARVEY CAPPS.