Mrs. Lonnie Welch Ellis

Lonnie Welch Ellis, 86, passed away peacefully Tuesday, June 6, 2017 at her home in Brandon. Visitation will be Thursday, June 8, 2017 from 10:30 a.m. until the 12:30 p.m. funeral service at Chancellor Funeral Home in Florence. Burial will follow at Palestine Cemetery in Simpson County. Mrs. Ellis was born in Simpson County to Vonnie Lee and Hattie Gordon Welch. Throughout her life, she worked at places such as Kennington Department Store, First Federal, Jackson Tile and with the State of MS as a switch board operator. She loved people and never met a stranger. She enjoyed her back yard that had a beautiful showing of God’s Nature. Lonnie enjoyed her many conversations on the phone with her very special, loving, and caring sister-in-law, Perneice Welch, whom she loved dearly. Mrs. Ellis was preceded in death by her parents; son, Ricky Buckley Welch; grandchild, Ronnie Miller; sister, Alien Lewis; and by her brothers, Johnnie James Welch and J.M. Welch. She is survived by her son, Johnny Lee Ellis and his wife, Anita; daughters, Sandra “Sandy” F. Griffing, and Betty Jo Smith and her husband, Ken; adoptive son, Doug and his wife Loree Hiser; grandchildren, Richard Earl Griffing, Christian “Chris” Griffing and his wife, Tara, Tanya Willis and her husband, Stephen, Glenn and June Miller and Vonnie and his wife, Melanie Ward Ellis; great grandchildren, Jacob Griffing, Rob Miller, Bailey Miller, Drew Willis, Austin Willis, Ashlyn Willis, Gia Ellis, Jack Ellis, Olivia Hardy Griffing and Lilly Kate Griffing; and her brothers, James Welch and his wife, Norma and Percy Welch and his wife, Mary.