Rebecca J. Ellis

STRONG - Rebecca J. Pillsbury Ellis, 85, of Strong passed away on Jan. 28, 2012 at the home of her son-in-law and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Boyd Sr. of Strong, after a brief and courageous battle with cancer.

Rebecca J. Pillsbury Ellis

She was born in Upper Dallas Plantation, Maine on July 4, 1926 one of nine children born to Paul and Charlotte (Lamb) Pillsbury. Rebecca attended school in Dallas Plantation and on March 4, 1942 was married to Sayward Ellis of Rangeley in Phillips. They were married for 48 years before Sayward's death on August 23, 1990.

In 1950 they moved to Strong and raised three sons and a daughter on their farm on Norton Hill. Rebecca was employed in several local mills and retired from G.H. Bass Co. in Wilton. She was one of the original members of the Strong Church of the Nazarene and was a proud to be a homemaker.

Rebecca is survived by two sons, Mark and his wife Patricia, and Richard and his wife Gail, all of Strong; a daughter Judith and her husband Robert Boyd Sr. of Strong; a daughter-in-law Helen Ellis of Friendship; 10 grandchildren; 20 great grandchildren; four great great grandchildren; three sisters, Marie Campbell and Lucreatia Dudley, both of Phillips, and Marilyn Howard and her husband Pete of Strong; four sisters-in-law, Hazel and Helen Pillsbury, both of Strong, Greta Pratt and her husband Rodney of Weld, and Betty Aho of Mass.; brothers-in-law Ira Berry of Auburn (who passed recently), Harry Ellis and his wife Jean of New Vineyard, and Paul Ellis and his wife Lillian of Rangeley: and many nieces and nephews.

Rebecca was predeceased by her parents, her husband Sayward, a son Neil, her brothers C. Oscar Pillsbury, Arlo Pillsbury, and Kendall Pillsbury, her sisters Rowena Presby and Lillian Berry, and a half-sister Emma Autote.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2012 from 5-7 p.m. at Adams~McFarlane Funeral & Cremation Services, 108 Court St., Farmington. A Memorial Service will be held at the Nazarene Church in Strong on Friday, Feb. 3, 2012 at 1 p.m with Pastor John Evans officiating. Donations may be made in Rebecca's memory to the Harold Alfond Center for Cancer Care 361 Old Belgrade Road, Augusta, ME 04330