Hilda R. Ellis, of St. Louis, MO passed away Thursday, February 27, 2025, in Chesterfield, MO. She was born on May 14, 1928, in Bokoshe, OK, daughter of Fay and Oma Vancil. She married Elmer Ellis on January 1, 1967, and he preceded her in death on May 18, 2001.

Survivors include one son, James D. Russell, his wife, Gayla B. Russell, of Brandon, FL; one granddaughter, Dr. Tonya Russell, and husband Dr. Steve Wen; two great-grandchildren, Logan and Lana Wen of Creve Coeur, MO.

She was preceded in death by her parents, G. F. Vancil and Oma Vancil of Centralia, IL; two sisters, Wanda Cowen of Evanston, WY, and Peggy Nicely of Centralia, IL; one brother, Gary Vancil of Mt. Vernon, IL.

Mrs. Ellis was retired from Illinois Bell Telephone Company. She was a Bible Class teacher, and a faithful member of the Church of Christ in Central City, IL, until her move to St. Louis, MO in August 2011, where she remained a faithful member of the Church of Christ.

A eulogy will be shared by a dear family friend, Gordon Bennett at 1:45 p.m. Thursday, March 6, 2025, at the Irvin Macz Funeral Home's chapel in Centralia, IL. Interment will follow in the chapel at Mt. Vernon Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Mt. Vernon, IL. Friends and relatives are welcome to a visitation time to offer words of sympathy and share memories of Hilda from 1:00 p.m. until 1:45 p.m. at the Irvin Macz Funeral Home in Centralia, IL. Memorials may be made in Hilda's honor to the Tri-City Church of Christ in Central City, IL or Schultz-Lewis Children's Home in Valparaiso, IN. Online condolences and memories of Hilda may be shared by visiting maczfuneralhomes.com and/or on the funeral home's Facebook page.