Marion Ellison Jr.

Marion “J.R.” Ellison, Jr. passed away on Tuesday, February 2, 2021, at Hendrick Hospice Care Center. He was born on November 13, 1928 in Leeds, Alabama to Marion Frances Ellison Sr. and Ila May Ellison. He joined the Army Air Corps and served from 1948 to 1951 as a fireman/crash crew airman at Roswell AFB in Roswell, N.M.
While at Roswell, he met Lena Mae “Lin” Olson and they married on July 14, 1949. They were married for 68 years until her passing on June7, 2017.
After leaving active military service, J.R. served in the Air Force Reserve at Dyess AFB in Abilene. He joined Yeatts and Decker Engineering as a surveyor and then Decker Construction Company as a construction foreman for many years. During that time, he built a number of water treatment facilities across west and central Texas.
After his retirement, J.R. began making fishing lures and restoring old fishing equipment for sale at various flea markets around Abilene. He was well known for his more than 25 years selling at the Buffalo Gap Flea Market and always had a good fish story to tell his customers.
He is survived by his sons Gary Ellison and daughter-in-law Cheryl of Abilene; Randy Ellison and daughter-in-law Cynthia of Abilene; Jerry Ellison of Abilene and his daughter Sue and husband Gary. J.R and Lin had 11 grandchildren and 29 great-grandchildren.
J.R. will be greatly missed by his family and friends. The family want to especially thank the staff at Hendrick Medical Center and Hendrick Hospice Center for their wonderful care for our father and comfort to his family.
A memorial service for family and close friends will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday, February 27, at Pioneer Drive Baptist Church.