Dr. Frances Ellis

Dr. Frances Sterling Ellis, 95, of Stone Mountain, beloved wife, mother, and grandmother, passed away Monday, February 12, 2018. Born November 12, 1922, in Gloster, Mississippi, she was the daughter of the late Elias and Rhoda Berryhill Sterling. In 1942 she married Ralph J. Ellis who served in the Air Force during WWII and later became a Methodist minister. Frances began her teaching career at Loganville High School in 1956. She was the first person to receive a Ph.D. in English at Georgia State University in 1975 and went on to become an English Professor at DeKalb College which is now a part of Georgia State University. Frances recently published two novels, "James' Crossing" and "Standing in the Door".

Frances is survived by her son Ralph D. Ellis and his wife Lynda; daughters Suzie Ellis-Hoyle and her husband Joseph, and Cheryl F. Ellis and Ronald Allan Charles; son-in-law, George Morrison; grandchildren Fran Morrison, Arthur Morrison, Tracie Ravita and her husband Norm Fischer, Domenic Ravita and his wife Leigh Ann, Danielle Hoyle, and Cameron Hoyle; four great grandchildren Liam, Henry, Oliver and Meg; and many more loving family and friends.
In addition to her parents,

Frances was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Ralph J. Ellis; her son, Charles Daniel Ellis; and several older siblings.

The family will receive friends at 10:00 a.m. with services at 11:00 a.m. Monday February 19, 2018 at Laird Funeral Home, 408 N. Union Street Natchez, MS 39120. Interment will follow at Natchez City Cemetery, 2 Cemetery Road Natchez, MS 39120.

The family invites you to join us for a late lunch immediately following the burial at a venue to be announced.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital in her name, https://www.stjude.org/give.html.

Feel free to leave the family your condolences via the guestbook provided.