Eloise J. Ellis, age 95 of Grand Rapids passed away Saturday, April 25, 2026, at her residence with family at her side.

Eloise Jeanette was born June 27, 1930 in Jessie Lake, Minnesota, to Selma Gunellia (Anderson) and Olaf Bastian Bendix.  Eloise was the youngest of twelve children. She attended school in Deer River, Minnesota and graduated in 1948. Following high school, Eloise began working in payroll at Blandin Paper Company.

On October 11, 1952, Eloise was united in marriage to Dean Eldred Ellis at First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Grand Rapids, MN.  Together, they raised three children, Leigh, Mark, and Cis.  Eloise was a stay-at-home mother until all their children were in school; then she returned to Blandin Paper Company to continue her career. She became a "Groundbreaker for Women in the Workforce" in the 1960's as she continued her education in Computer Programming.  She continued her career at Blandin Paper Company until her retirement in December 1988.

She is described as an amazing wife and mother by her children. Eloise was a friend to anyone she met and was a true "people person." Their home would often be the place for large family gatherings and many friend events. Eloise took great pride in her appearance and was known as a "snappy dresser".  She had a unique personality that could come shining through, and sometimes with a special twinkle in her eyes she would just smile and wave and you knew what she wanted and expected.

Eloise was always continuing her education and loved to learn.  An interior design class led to constantly rearranging furniture at home!  She was an "Apple" user when it came to using a computer and iPhone, and up until the last few weeks, Eloise was still texting with her family.

Playing Bridge was one of her favorite pastimes!  She enjoyed playing and could be competitive, which she probably learned while playing with her siblings.  She passed the ACBL Teacher Accreditation Program and enjoyed teaching others the finer art of playing Bridge.

Following Dean and Eloise's retirement, they enjoyed wintering in Florida and Texas for many years; they also wintered in Mississippi to be close to her daughter, Cis.   During their retirement of about 35 years, they lived on Plug Hat Point on Winnie for a few years, finally returning to Grand Rapids where they lived at Lakeshore Place apartments. Following Dean's death, Eloise made her home in River Grand Senior Living.  There she seemed to know everyone, reconnecting with childhood friends, work colleagues, making new friends, and making friends with relatives of friends from years past.

Eloise is preceded in death by her husband, Dean "Skip" Ellis in 2022; a grandson, Jason Sholar; her parents; and her five sisters and six brothers.

She will be deeply missed by her children, Leigh (Jacalyn) Ellis of Stillwater, MN, Mark Ellis of Grand Rapids, MN, and Cis "Eloise" (Bobby) Ladner of Gulfport, MS; six grandchildren; 12 great grandchildren; and 3 great-great grandchildren; other relatives and friends.

A special thank you to the staff at River Grand Senior Living and St. Croix Hospice for the wonderful care Eloise received until the very end of her life.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 AM Friday, June 26, 2026 at Libbey Funeral Home in Grand Rapids with visitation beginning at 10:00 AM.  Pastor Stanley Dow will officiate the service.  Interment will be in Greenwood Cemetery, Talmoon, MN.

Arrangements are with Libbey Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Grand Rapids, MN. To   sign the online guestbook or send condolences visit www.libbeyfuneralhome.com.