Mary Jo Ellis

1939 - 2019

Mary Jo (Welch) Ellis died Jan. 12, 2019 in Puyallup, WA. Memorial service and celebration of her life will be held on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2019 at the Keno Fire Department, 14800 Puckett Road, Keno, Ore.

"Jo" was born in Hood River, Ore., on July 18, 1939, to Sherman Welch and Mary (Weeks) Welch. In her early married life, she lived throughout the Pacific Northwest, eventually making her permanent home in Keno, (50 years). In that community she owned and operated Service Steel Erection with her first husband, Bob. In her private time she was an artist in the fields of painting, ceramics, jewelry making and other crafts. She enjoyed square dancing and eventually became a semi-professional square dance caller in her retirement. Civic participation included being one of the first members of the Keno Volunteer Fire Department. Later years found her involved in the Keno Lions club.

She is survived by siblings, Sherman Welch and Billie Marie Welch (both Coos Bay, Ore.); oldest daughter, Bobbie Jo Birnel (Spanaway, Wash.) and three of her children - Mary Williamson (Medford, Ore.), Edina Morgan (Vancouver, Wash.), Roberta Carlile-Anderson (Bremerton, Wash.) and seven great-grandchildren; younger daughter, Billie Charlene Smith (Keno), and grandsons Raymond Biggs and CJ Biggs (Klamath Falls, Ore.); stepchildren - Paula Rehkehamper (Highland, Ill.), Victor Hollinger and Poppy Near (Florida) and Jason Hollinger (Dixon, Ill.).

She was preceded in death by her first husband, Robert D Ellis (1989); second husband, Gerald Hollinger (2014); granddaughter, Dana M Black (2006) and grandson, Amery S. Neuenschwander (2018).