Jacque Ellison

(From Parker Mortuary)

Jacque Ellison, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, passed away on November 13, 2025, at the age of 88, in Corinth, Texas. Her instruction for this obituary was titled, “Data about my life for celebrating going away to Heavenly Places.” We celebrate that her mind and body have been restored and that she is suffering no more.

Jacqueline Elaine Smith was born as the only child to Peggy (nee Prince) and Dick Smith in Joplin, Missouri on February 11, 1937. She married the love of her life, Condia Ellison, on August 17, 1957, in Joplin, and they enjoyed 68 years of marriage.

Jacque graduated from Joplin High School in 1955 and attended Joplin Junior College (now Missouri Southern State University) before marrying Condia. She had great business skills and worked in Administrative positions for several entities, employing her phenomenal organization skills (paper spreadsheets long before Excel) and secretarial skills (shorthand and typing at 100 words per minute), most notably as a Senior Admin at Oral Roberts University (7 years) and at Citgo Petroleum Corporation until her retirement in 1996. Jacque was known to wear heels often and for her ability to iron clothes with the best.

Jacque considered her greatest accomplishment as receiving Christ as her personal savior at 27. She was baptized on Easter Sunday in 1964 at Harmony Heights Baptist Church. She loved the scriptures and immersed herself in their study. She transcribed scriptures and her reflections into many hundreds of notecards (scattered everywhere and often given to friends and family). Christian books that she read were thoroughly highlighted and adorned with extensive notes in the margins. She was an outstanding writer and had a flair for the poetic; every card that she sent had a personal, insightful thought almost always combined with at least one scripture. She was the family’s prayer warrior. She was a long-time worshiper at Grace Fellowship in Tulsa, and then Gateway Church in Southlake. She was very proud of serving as an outstanding Sunday School teacher to young married adult women in two churches, being a very effective Christian mentor and forming some life-long friendships with women who were only slightly younger.

The other accomplishments that she was proud of: marrying Condia; having a son (Tim) and daughter (Missy); having six grandchildren and one great grandchild; being Peggy and Dick’s daughter and leading them to Christ and taking care of them in their declining years (as well as taking care of both her stepmother and stepfather in their later years); and maintaining a close sister-like relationship with her cousin Judy.

When Jacque reflected on her most fun activities and her blessings she would list: playing with grandkids and going to their athletic events (and rejoicing over their successes), attending ORU Basketball games (long-time season ticket holder), attending family gatherings, starting to run at age 40 (she often placed in her age group and participated as a Citgo team member in Corporate Challenges as well as in twelve of the 15K Tulsa Runs), sharing problems and triumphs with Judy routinely, studying the bible, going to church and participating in praise and worship, and praying for others. She was an accomplished pianist (studying for 10 years in her youth) and enjoyed playing the piano through her declining years and only retired after the stroke she suffered a year before her death.

Jacque moved to Tulsa in 1968, moved to Roanoke, Texas in 2007, and finally moved to Shady Shores, Texas in 2022 to live with her son and daughter-in-law. Her mother Peggy suffered from Alzheimer’s in her later years (cared for by Jacque), and likewise Jacque suffered from Alzheimer’s in her last years. Jacque was loyal and supportive to her family and fiercely loyal and supportive to her husband, children and especially her grandchildren. In Grandma’s eyes, her grandchildren were always the best, the brightest, and the most attractive.

Jacque was predeceased by: Mother, Peggy Lemmons; Father, Richard E. Smith; Stepfather Rusty Lemmons; Stepmother, Irene Smith; beloved cousin/sister Judy Lewman; beloved Aunts Betty Smith, Mary Kriekhaus, Marjorie Workizer, and Neva Prince; beloved grandmothers Alice Smith and Treva Prince; sister-in-laws Annis Jane Medley and Sandy Ellison; brothers-in-law Eldon Ellison and Lomer Ellison.

She is survived by: husband of 68 years, Condia Ellison; Son and daughter-in-law, Tim and Jennifer Ellison; Daughter, Missy Fife; Grandchildren Luke Fife (Ashley), Lizzie Grizzle (Austin), Daniel Fife (Aisling), Rachel Ellison (Keenan), Jacob Fife (fiancé Mitali), Rebekah Fife (Caleb); great grandson Jude; brothers-in-laws, Floyd Ellison and Wayne Medley; sister-in-law, Vera Ellison; numerous cousins from the Smith family, Prince family, and Lewman family.

The family is thankful for Jacque’s caregivers in her last days at the hands of Arcy Healthcare (Hospice and Yvette) and Corinth Rehab.

Suggested donations in Jacque’s memory can be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, or to the Alzheimer’s Association.

Jacque left several scriptures to include with her obituary – we include a few here:

… death is swallowed up in victory (1 Corinthians 15:54)

A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of one’s birth (Ecclesiastes 7:1)

I have created you and cared for you since you were born. I will be your God through your lifetime, yes, even when your hair is white with age. I made you and I will care for you. I will carry you along and be your savior (Isaiah 46:3-4).

Blessed is the woman that worships the Lord, that delights greatly in His Word. Her seed shall be mighty upon the Earth: The generation of the upright shall be blessed. Wealth and riches shall be in her house; and her righteousness (in Him) endures forever. (Psalms 112:1-3 - paraphrased by Jacque).

Funeral Services are under the direct care of Parker Mortuary in Joplin, MO.