Virginia Ellen Morgan was born August 13, 1935 in the tiny border town of West Line, MO, the youngest of six children of James Leary Morgan and Julia Fischell Morgan. A few years later the family moved back to Miami Co. KS to her Fischell grandparents farm, east of Paola. In the mid 1940s they moved into Paola. Virginia graduated from Paola High School in 1952 and on Nov. 16, 1952 she was married at the Methodist parsonage in Paola to Gerald Arthur Ellis, son of Loren Claude Ellis and Esther Bratton Ellis. They lived on Loren Ellis’s dairy farm west of Paola and then moved into Paola in 1957. In 1958 they built a new house on Grandview Drive. Between 1953 and 1958 they had three children, Michael, Susan and Mark. In 1961 they moved to Garnett, KS and established the ANCO Cheese Co., the largest cheese factory in Kansas, located at the corner of Park Rd. and Hwy 59 on the north edge of Garnett, producing cheese for the Kraft company. In 1968 they built a large brick home on Hwy 59 one mile north of Garnett. About 1970 they built an addition to the factory and opened the Anco Cheese, Plate & Stein shop which specialized in imported gift items. During the 1970s they acquired cheese factories in Hoisington and Mound Ridge KS. In the 1970s they traveled to many classic car shows and started a collection of classic cars. Jerry died in 1980. Virginia then attended Allen County Community Junior College in Iola and Kansas University Medical School in Kansas City, receiving a degree in Medical Records Administration. She worked for the Anderson County Hospital in Garnett KS and for Ransom Memorial Hospital in Ottawa KS. In 1987 she was married to William Eddy of Lawrence KS. They built a home on a 15 acre lakeside property south of Lawrence. Virginia became a Kansas City Royals Lancer, handling season ticket sales for the Lawrence area for many years. She and Bill traveled all over the world, including many trips with the Royals. She was an avid bridge player and loved flower gardening. Bill died in 2021. In 2023 Virginia moved to Mesa, AZ. She passed away on Sept. 3, 2024 in Mesa, AZ at the age of 89.
Virginia is survived by a brother, James L. Morgan of Omaha NE, a sister-in-law, LeAnne Shields of Paola KS, her children Michael of Phoenix AZ, Susan (Julie) of Yachats OR, and Mark (Donna) of Mesa AZ, grandson Grant (Alexa) Ellis of Lawrence KS, great-grandson Grady Ellis, step-son Steve Eddy (Melissa) of Prairie Village KS, and step-grandchildren Jack and Mary Beth Eddy.
In addition to husbands Jerry and Bill, she was preceded in death by sisters Josephine (Burton) Matthews of West Line MO, Elnora (Lester) Vohs of Block KS, Dorothy (Ray) Nolan of Topeka KS, brother Jack (Joan) Morgan of Wellsville and Paola KS, step-daughter Sharon Eddy of Shawnee KS, and brother-in-law William C. Ellis of Nixa MO.
The family is planning a graveside service on Friday Sept. 27th at 11am at the Paola Cemetery in Paola KS.