Father in law, Cecil "Ted" Ellis passed away Tuesday morning. He will be missed.
Obituary for Ted Ellis at Roberts and Son Funeral Home, Inc.
C. Ted Ellis of Blackwell, Oklahoma, died early Tuesday morning, May 10, 2016, in the Alliance Health Ponca City at the age of 77 years.
C. Ted Ellis was born on June 27, 1938, in Blackwell to Cecil L. and Alta Ella (Randall) Ellis. He grew up in Blackwell attending Blackwell Public Schools. He graduated from Blackwell High School in 1957 where he was an accomplished football player and wrestler. While in high school he was a runner-up one year and a two time state champion. His accomplishments on the mat earned him a scholarship at Oklahoma State University where he won a national championship in 1959 and a second place in 1961. While in college he married Carla M. Garlett on September 4, 1959, in Ponca City. Following college the couple returned to Blackwell where he worked at the Blackwell Zinc Company for fourteen years. He then worked for Continental Can Company for thirteen years before working at Conoco for ten years, retiring in 1998. He worked as a volunteer football coach for Blackwell Junior High in the early 1970’s. He also enjoyed watching sports and being with family, especially his grandchildren.
He is survived by his wife, Carla Ellis of Blackwell; a daughter, Brenda Kothe and husband Deano of Collinsville, Oklahoma; two sons, Duane Ellis and wife Janelle of Blackwell and Darrell Ellis of Blackwell; a brother, Clarence John Ellis of Haysville, Kansas; a sister-in-law, Neva Jo Ellis of Halstead, Kansas; three grandchildren, Taylor Kothe and wife Heather of Tulsa and Kelsey and Justin Kothe of Collinsville; and numerous nieces and nephews that he dearly loved.
He was preceded in death by his parents; five sisters, Cecilia, Margaret, Lola, Annie and Nola; and four brothers, Earl, Clay, Vern and an infant brother, Charles.
Services are scheduled for 10:30 a.m., Friday, May 13th in the Immanuel Baptist Church in Blackwell with Rev. Matt Smith officiating. Burial will follow in the Blackwell Cemetery.
A memorial has been established in his honor with the Blackwell Wrestling Club in c/o Roberts and Son Funeral Home, 120 W. Padon, Blackwell, Oklahoma 74631.
InterMat Rewind: Oklahoma State's heavyweight legacy
Ted Ellis (1959)
Originally from Blackwell -- another wrestling powerhouse within the state of Oklahoma -- Ted Ellis won back-to-back Oklahoma high school heavyweight state titles in 1956 and 1957.
Ted Ellis
Ellis' sophomore season was arguably his brightest. He won the 1959 Big Eight conference heavyweight championship by getting the fall over Iowa State's Jan Schwitters at 2:15. At the 1959 NCAAs, the top-seeded Cowboy pinned his way through his first four bouts in the heavyweight bracket … making it into the finals where he faced off against Ithaca College's 300+ pounder, Bob Marella. After the match ended in regulation tied 1-1, in overtime Ellis shut out the man who would later become professional wrestler Gorilla Monsoon 2-0 to claim the heavyweight championship.
Ted Ellis' next appearance at the NCAAs was in 1961, where he was seeded second to his cross-state nemesis, Dale Lewis of Oklahoma, who was the defending champ. Ellis pinned two of his opponents and shut out ISU's Schwitters to face off against familiar foe Lewis for the title. The two had wrestled each other numerous times in their college careers, most recently at the 1961 Big Eight heavyweight finals, where the Sooner got an overtime victory over the Cowboy. Ellis may have had revenge on his mind … but Dale Lewis got the 3-2 victory to deny the Oklahoma State heavyweight a second national title.
Obituary for Ted Ellis at Roberts and Son Funeral Home, Inc.
C. Ted Ellis of Blackwell, Oklahoma, died early Tuesday morning, May 10, 2016, in the Alliance Health Ponca City at the age of 77 years.
C. Ted Ellis was born on June 27, 1938, in Blackwell to Cecil L. and Alta Ella (Randall) Ellis. He grew up in Blackwell attending Blackwell Public Schools. He graduated from Blackwell High School in 1957 where he was an accomplished football player and wrestler. While in high school he was a runner-up one year and a two time state champion. His accomplishments on the mat earned him a scholarship at Oklahoma State University where he won a national championship in 1959 and a second place in 1961. While in college he married Carla M. Garlett on September 4, 1959, in Ponca City. Following college the couple returned to Blackwell where he worked at the Blackwell Zinc Company for fourteen years. He then worked for Continental Can Company for thirteen years before working at Conoco for ten years, retiring in 1998. He worked as a volunteer football coach for Blackwell Junior High in the early 1970’s. He also enjoyed watching sports and being with family, especially his grandchildren.
He is survived by his wife, Carla Ellis of Blackwell; a daughter, Brenda Kothe and husband Deano of Collinsville, Oklahoma; two sons, Duane Ellis and wife Janelle of Blackwell and Darrell Ellis of Blackwell; a brother, Clarence John Ellis of Haysville, Kansas; a sister-in-law, Neva Jo Ellis of Halstead, Kansas; three grandchildren, Taylor Kothe and wife Heather of Tulsa and Kelsey and Justin Kothe of Collinsville; and numerous nieces and nephews that he dearly loved.
He was preceded in death by his parents; five sisters, Cecilia, Margaret, Lola, Annie and Nola; and four brothers, Earl, Clay, Vern and an infant brother, Charles.
Services are scheduled for 10:30 a.m., Friday, May 13th in the Immanuel Baptist Church in Blackwell with Rev. Matt Smith officiating. Burial will follow in the Blackwell Cemetery.
A memorial has been established in his honor with the Blackwell Wrestling Club in c/o Roberts and Son Funeral Home, 120 W. Padon, Blackwell, Oklahoma 74631.
InterMat Rewind: Oklahoma State's heavyweight legacy
Ted Ellis (1959)
Originally from Blackwell -- another wrestling powerhouse within the state of Oklahoma -- Ted Ellis won back-to-back Oklahoma high school heavyweight state titles in 1956 and 1957.
Ellis' sophomore season was arguably his brightest. He won the 1959 Big Eight conference heavyweight championship by getting the fall over Iowa State's Jan Schwitters at 2:15. At the 1959 NCAAs, the top-seeded Cowboy pinned his way through his first four bouts in the heavyweight bracket … making it into the finals where he faced off against Ithaca College's 300+ pounder, Bob Marella. After the match ended in regulation tied 1-1, in overtime Ellis shut out the man who would later become professional wrestler Gorilla Monsoon 2-0 to claim the heavyweight championship.
Ted Ellis' next appearance at the NCAAs was in 1961, where he was seeded second to his cross-state nemesis, Dale Lewis of Oklahoma, who was the defending champ. Ellis pinned two of his opponents and shut out ISU's Schwitters to face off against familiar foe Lewis for the title. The two had wrestled each other numerous times in their college careers, most recently at the 1961 Big Eight heavyweight finals, where the Sooner got an overtime victory over the Cowboy. Ellis may have had revenge on his mind … but Dale Lewis got the 3-2 victory to deny the Oklahoma State heavyweight a second national title.
