Louis Charles Ellis

Louis Ellis, Sr. was born on September 23, 1934 in Itta Bena, Mississippi.  He was the first grandchild of Joseph and Sadie Swarn.  His mother Q.T. was the first child of her parents. Following the history of the Swan family later there were three sisters and one brother.  He was raised by his mother’s sister, aunt Marguerite born in 1919, whom raised Louis, aunt Annie born in 1922, and uncle Samuel born in 1923.  They all held a special place in Louis heart. 

On reaching young adulthood Louis left Itta Bena, Mississippi, leaving two young sons, Louis and Lonnie Lee Hartman with their mothers.

He changed his name, met and married after four years, Mary Louise Morris who had three children of her own.  Louis cared enough for her to accept and adopt each child. 

On December 3, 1967, Louis came home and moved his family up to Racine, Wisconsin.  Luckily the landlord of a vacant house not only rented him the house but hired him to work in his factory, which was only six blocks from the house.

Louis was an avid bowler and at his peak he was bowling 300, the perfect score!.  His favorite sport was baseball and he could quote all stats on certain of  teams.

Louis was preceded in death by his grandparents, Joseph and Sadie Swarn, his mother Q.T. Swarn, his aunt Marguerite, 2 male cousins, Gabriel and Joe Lee King; 4 female cousins, Sadie, Clara Mae, Rosie and Cookie (Johnnie); his loving son, Lonnie Lee Hartman; his adopted son, Terrence; his son, Louis Jr. by his wife Mary and his youngest daughter, Geneva also by his wife.

Leaving to remember Louis, his sense of humor and his steadfastness are:  His two aunts, Bessie and Patty of Dayton, Ohio; his children, his eldest son, Louis(Lonnie’s brother); his daughters, Liani (twin of Louis Jr. deceased) LeGrante, Frediricka, Steven, Sydney, Robert(twin to Geneva) and last but not least, Debra Ellis Newman the eldest of the clan who lives in Wisconsin. 

Louis leaves: 8 children, 41 grandchildren, 119 great-grands and 2 great-great grands; numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews, other relatives and too many friends to name.

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