Elsie Marcella Tillson

Born to Czechoslovakian and Yugoslavian immigrants Frank and Amelia Vavricka, becoming US citizens through Ellis Island, Elsie (Ellie) Marcella Vavricka was born the 6th child of seven children on April 24, 1929 on their homestead in Troy, South Dakota. She passed in peace on Friday, December 12, 2025 at LakeHouse Assisted Living in Coldwater, Michigan at the age of 96.
Ellie grew up in Morrice, Michigan speaking Czech language with her immediate family. On March 31, 1951 she married Robert (Bob) Tillson at St. Mary Catholic Church in Morrice, Michigan. After high school and through Bob's deployment for the Korean War she worked for the State of Michigan Road Commission. Upon Bob's return, they had their first daughter, Christina Marie in 1955 and second daughter, Julie Ann in 1957. Later she worked for the Durand Express Newspaper.
Together Bob and Ellie raised their family on Oakland Street, later moving to East Lansing Road making memories with great celebrations in their basement and around their pool in the summer. Their home was a collection of beautifully curated antiques with Ellie having many stories behind the pieces she collected. She was a shopper at heart, always looking for a new pair of shoes or the perfect off-white top to add to her wardrobe. She made sure her daughters and granddaughters all knew what "season" they were for their own wardrobes.
Bob and Ellie loved to travel. They had a special trip to Morocco, several road trips to her homeland in South Dakota and out west, later in life exploring casinos in and around Michigan, and on their route to Mississippi. She loved hosting the annual St. Mary's Fall Color Bus Tour, being a member of the St. Martha Guild and serving on the St. Mary Altar Society for many years. Holidays at their home was a magical time with much anticipation behind bi-fold doors, walnuts holding $2 bill, and the annual chocolate covered cherries in special wrapping paper. Every moment was documented by Ellie in photographs, giving her the nickname Grandma Kodak.
St. Mary Catholic Church Durand has served as their religious home for 68 years, and was deeply missed when she moved to Coldwater four years ago to be close to family in an assisted living home.
One of the roles Ellie loved best was being grandma to Courtney (Brandon) Dirschell, Mollie (Tanner) Shay, Megan (Steve) Parker, Katie (Chris) Page and Jason (Deneice) Mulnix along with great grandchildren: Porter and Grady Shay, Julianna and Grace Page, Oliver and Amelia Parker, and Annabelle and Daisy Senk. She has been lovingly cared for by her daughters, Christina Connelly of Coldwater, Michigan and Julie Mulnix of Swartz Creek, Michigan.
She has been proceeded in death by her husband Bob of 67 years in 2018 whom she is celebrating with a polka dance in heaven, her parents, all of her siblings - Mary Cunningham, Rose Ann Heldt, Chuck Vavricka, Joe Vavricka, Agnes Manier, and Pauline Ploof, infant son and many brothers and sisters-in-law, and her son-in-law Michael Connelly, and great-grandchild Kolbie Shay.
To celebrate a life well lived, a mass of Christian burial will be held on Monday, December 29 at St. Mary Catholic Church, 700 Columbia Dr. Durand at 11 a.m. with Rev. Fr. Santhiyagu Arockiyasamy. A visitation will be held at the church on Sunday, December 28, 2025 at the church from 4-7 p.m. with rosary to be prayed at 7 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Mary Catholic Church Durand.