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Mike Ellis
CHARLESTON, Mo. — Joe E. “Mike” Ellis III was born July 10, 1943, at Cape Girardeau, Missouri, to the late Joseph E. Ellis Jr. and Loiselle Fisher Ellis, and passed away Monday, April 24, 2023.
A lifelong resident of Charleston, Mike was a 1961 graduate of Charleston High School and went on to attend Washington University in St. Louis on a football scholarship. His athletic career began at Charleston High and as a junior was selected as a guard for the *First Team Big-Eight and as senior was selected as a tackle for the *SecondTeam Big-Eight, only 11 players were selected, no separate defensive and offensive teams, just 11 players. The Big-Eight conference at the time consisted of Charleston, Sikeston, Cape Central, Poplar Bluff, Caruthersville, Kennett, Jackson and Cairo, Illinois. In 1959, Mike played in the last Thanksgiving day game against Sikeston, an ongoing rivalry since 1905. In 1960, he played in the first game of Charleston against Sikeston, on the current Sikeston football field. While at Charleston High, Mike lettered three years in football and two of those as captain. While attending Washington University, Mike was the only freshman lineman that lettered and was a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity.
Mike was very active in many aspects of the social concerns of Charleston; a member of the First Baptist Church, he served and retired after 35 years as Chief Deputy Juvenile Officer for the 33rd Judicial Circuit of Scott and Mississippi Counties, serving under Fred Glower and Bill Lawson. For 20 years he coached little league baseball, basketball and football, five years he organized the Southeast Missouri AAU Junior Olympic Track meet, held at Charleston; 20 he covered Charleston High School football and basketball by writing a sports column for Charleston’s Enterprise-Courier Newspaper; 20 years announced Charleston High School and Football Games for radio station KCHR; in 1989, he was named Mississippi County Law Enforcement Officer of the year; served two terms on the Charleston R-1 Board of Education; and helped with the Charleston Nutrition Center “Meals on Wheels” delivery for nine years with his longtime friends, Hunter Rolwing, Charles Jackson and Donnie Bruenderman.
In 1988, he married Loretta Hunt Wheelis who survives of the home.
Also surviving are daughters, Amanda (Wesley) McDermott and Theresa Parden; his grandchildren, Madyson (Kade) Scott, Cole McDermott, Shawn Dale (Cassie) Parden, Michael Parden and Tyler (Nicole) Parden; his sister, Deidre Ellis Reed; nephews, Chris (Robyn) Brown, Dee Brown, Tres (Whitney) Reed and Joe Reed.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his son-in-law, Elbert Parden; his sister and brother-in-law, Karen and Dick Brown; brother-in-law, Rick Reed and nephew, Kevin Ellis Brown.
The family will receive friends from noon until the funeral hour at 2 p.m. Friday, April 28, 2023, at the First Baptist Church in Charleston. Rev. Gerald Collier will officiate.
Interment will follow in the I.O.O.F. Cemetery near Charleston under the direction of the McMikle Funeral Home of Charleston.
Online condolences maybe shared at www.mcmiklefuneralhome.com.
The family kindly requests memorial gifts be made to the Charleston Nutrition Center, 205 West Commercial St., Charleston, MO 63834.