Obituary - Vernie Joe Ellis

Vernie Joe Ellis, born April 10th, 1937, has fought a good fight against dementia and is finally at rest in the arms of his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Born and raised in Arkansas, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in the mid 1950`s and was trained at Lackland Air Base as an Air Policeman. Vernie was then stationed at the 778th (AC&W, Aircraft Control and Warning) Squadron north of Havre, MT. While there, he met his beloved wife-to-be, Sharon Woeppel, deceased 1992, and the two married in the late 1950s then soon after had two children.

After his military stint, Vernie would go on to become a butcher for F.A. Buttrey and other businesses in Havre. He was also sought out as a wild-game processor by many sportsmen.

Vernie then was hired by the City of Havre in the 1960s as a police officer and was extremely fond and proud of his law enforcement career, once receiving an Outstanding Law Enforcement Officer Award by the Jaycees. He loved his community and fellow officers.

He retired in the mid-1980s after 20-plus years of service as the lieutenant. Vernie, being an avid outdoors-man decided on retiring in the mountain community of Lincoln, Mt., to have easy access to his loves of hunting and fishing.

As the eldest son of Eugene and Bessie Ellis of Arkansas, Vernie had nine siblings. Three brothers, Vance Ellis, deceased, Phillip and Randy Ellis; six sisters, Betty Chasteen, deceased, Janice Cleveland, deceased, Joan Usery, Bobbie Money, Patsy Piker, deceased, and Bertie Yates.

He is survived by daughter Nita (Brian) Jackson of Great Falls, Mt., and a son, Randy (LaVonne) Ellis of Havre, Mt .; and granddaughter Denae Nicole Ellis, also of Havre, Mt; also beloved extended family of Allanv(Kathleen) Woeppel of Havre, Mt., as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Honorary Pall Bearers – all of his law enforcement family, his beloved hunting partners Tim Wyant, The Matt Pozega family, Ray Trudel and sons, Lee Laeupple, Tracy Zickuhr and Doug Lacroix, and all other beloved family and friends.

Special thanks to April Custer and the staff at Care and Comfort Home of Havre, Mt., for the fine level of care they provided for Vernie.

No funeral service at this time due to COVID. A memorial service may be scheduled at a later date. Please feel free to make memorial donations in Vernie's name to the Havre Police Protective Association Inc. or Montana Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

Please visit Vernie's online memorial page at http://www.hollandbonine.com to leave a message of condolence for his family.