Darrel Ellis, a lifelong resident and friend of Mancos, a member of the Mancos Town Board of Trustees, Mancos Public Library Board and the Mancos Valley Historical Society, and a valued contributor to The Mancos Times and The Journal, passed away the Monday morning, Nov. 23, at age 81.
Ellis is survived by his wife of 60 years, Rovilla, and four children, Marva, Carl, Lyle and Marie, as well as his 15 beloved grandchildren.
Ellis was born July 30, 1934, to Vernon Ellis and Fern Ellis in Mancos. He was the oldest of four children, and grew up in the home his grandfather built. He went on to raise his children in the same home. He met the love of his life, Rovilla Ellis, in Mancos while home on a college break. They were married in June 1955 in Mancos and were later sealed in the Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Involved in music since childhood, Ellis and his family formed a dance band when he was younger, in which he played the saxophone. He also played in the ROTC Band while in college, and spent several years singing with various choirs in the Mancos area.
Ellis attended Brigham Young University, and graduated with a degree in political science. He joined ROTC while at BYU and honorably served with the Air Force for 17 years and attained the rank of captain. He was an information officer while in the Air Force. He left the Air Force in 1969, and returned to the town he loved with Rovilla.
Ellis poured himself into Mancos, and seemed to be involved in everything.
Whether he was lined up along Grand Avenue during a parade or serving the community with one of the many organizations he volunteered with, Ellis could be counted on to offer a nod and a smile to those in his path. Those who knew him personally describe him as a kind, friendly pillar of the town, with an encyclopedic knowledge of Mancos.
Phil Walters, treasurer of the Mancos Masonic Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons No. 100 – one of Ellis’ many extracurricular activities — recalled that Ellis was one of the first people he met upon moving to town in 1998.
“He’s just always been a part of Mancos to me. He’s one of the most thoughtful people I’ve ever met,” said Walters. “He’s one of those glue people that really holds things together.”
Upon joining the Mancos Masonic Lodge in 1975, Ellis held just about every position available, Walters said, including Master, the highest elected office.
A longtime champion of literacy and bettering the town he called home, Ellis was also heavily involved with the Mancos Public Library Board, serving as board trustee and president since 2012.
“He’s one of the few people in the community who openly allowed us to give out his name and phone number to anyone in need, whether local or passing through, and he would help them in any way he could,” said Mancos Library director Lee Hallberg. “He was also our repository of local history knowledge, and was always willing to come in to help patrons who were researching family or Mancos history. I was constantly amazed at his memory – he could not only recall events that happened in his lifetime but also from stories he had read or heard from his parent’s generation. His knowledge extended far beyond local history, too – he loved to read and had a passion for science and would be the first on the list for any new science books or magazines that came into the library.”
A recent role for Ellis was serving on the Mancos Town Board of Trustees.
Appointed this summer to a vacant seat, Ellis’ kindness, longtime ties to Mancos and extensive knowledge about the area’s history proved to be an asset to his fellow trustees, said Mayor Rachael Simbeck.
“Darrel was a treasure to the community and a valued voice of experience on the board. He was very generous and cared a lot about Mancos,” said Simbeck. “He volunteered his time in any way he could. Words cannot express how very saddened we are by this news, and we will miss him very much.”
Linda Simmons, who like many others, met Ellis upon moving to Mancos, said his passing also leaves a void in the Mancos Valley Historical Society. He served as historian for the society since its rebirth in 2013, and was a valued source of stories and information. He could be counted on to be involved in any way, shape, or form, Simmons said. She recalls just this past spring, when he dressed up in full historical garb – a black western suit – and helped the society act out a famous murder in the Mancos Valley for a cowboy murder-mystery fundraiser.
“We relied on him a lot, especially with events we put on. ... (His passing) leaves a gap and provides a real challenge for the historical society. He was always in the midst of things,” said Simmons. “He is going to be very missed.”
Ellis’ voice lives on in the columns and in the books he wrote on the history of the town he loved to serve.
His books include: “Serious and grave plots: A listing and look at the individuals buried in the Mancos Valley cemeteries” and “Murder and Mayhem on the Mancos.” He also added an index, and did some chronology work on his mother Fern’s book, “Come Back to My Valley.”
His weekly column, also titled “Come Back to My Valley,” is accessible in The Journal and Mancos Times archives.
His service will be on Friday, Nov. 27 at 2 p.m. at Church of Latter-day Saints in Mancos. A meal will be served after the service.
You may send condolences to the Ertel Funeral Home at ertelfuneralhome.com or call (970) 565-3468 for more information.
Kinsey Ertel contributed to this article.