Birth date: Sep 22, 1946 Death date: Jan 21, 2026
Janet Carol Ellison was born on September 22, 1946, and passed away on January 21, 2026. She was born in Pryor, Oklahoma, and lived a life rooted in faith, family, and service to others. Janet married the love of her life, Ronald Read Obituary
Karleen with Carol
Before I turned three I was presented with a treasured gift: a new baby sister. I quickly took on the job of care and protection for this bundle of energy. In turn, she decided she was a big kid too. She walked at seven months, and moved right on to running and climbing.
- Love, Karleen Chambers
Sometimes when I played with my friends she would make her own world with toys and imaginary friends. Her dolls were always well loved. When she saw us sliding and skating through the mud on our bare feet, she immediately ran, dropped to her stomach and slid. With mud all over her, she laughed happily. But Mother and Aunt Gladys, not so amused, came to her rescue and got her all cleaned up and her clothes changed. By the time their heads were turned, back she came for another try - - down again. She couldn’t just stand by and watch!
One of our favorite times was making mud pies and using all kinds of leaves to make them pretty. Then we graduated to making edibles from the yard … wild garlic leaves, gooseberries growing on the alley fence, clover, sheepshire and honeysuckle.
As we got older we cooked together, and helped our grandparents and aunts with garden chores: picking green beans, okra, peas and whatever was being harvested. Then we would sit with them and help snap, shell or process. We picked apples from the orchard, watched the bees being robbed of their honey, cracked walnuts and pecans, churned butter, fed the chickens, watched the ducks and geese, fed the hunting dogs, and just generally had great adventures. We helped pickle baby beets, okra and other vegetables. We were allowed to make cookies by ourselves from a new recipe, and lemonade from real lemons for dinner.
We picked wild blackberries and carried cream from the dairy next door to make homemade ice cream. Spending time with family in Pryor and in Lyndon KY made our lives full, and fulfilling.
As adults Carol and I decided to make Grandmother Roe’s relish recipe. I brought from Ponca City to Tulsa bushels of onions, cabbages and carrots, plus lots of sugar and herbs; we borrowed a grinder from Mother. We proceeded by washing and chopping all the veggies, then everything went through the grinder on the largest setting. We attached the grinder to the cabinet, and had to have something on the floor to collect the runoff juice. We cleaned and sterilized the pint jars, lids and rings. The mixture of vinegar, sugar and spices was poured in. We worked for hours, juices everywhere, onions in the air, tears flowing, the whole kitchen was a mess. Lots of work, but it is the best “chow-chow” I have ever had, and we both got a complete batch.
Carol and I have shared a lifetime, and I am thankful for having her as a sister and as a friend. She is one of the great treasures that the Lord gave to me and to our family. I am thankful for the time we had together. I know she had trust in the gift Christ had given her, and I celebrate with her.
“We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.
II Corinthians 5:8”
Karleen
Aunt Carol was a blessing to me because her love for me and others was so evident. She was like my grandmother (her mom, EdithMae Jane Burton Roe Menge) in that she was careful to speak well of others, and she graciously redirected critical speech to looking for the good in others. Because of that, I trusted her. I could share my thoughts, knowing she wouldn’t just affirm me, but she would quietly redirect as needed. Every child needs a mature and thoughtful extended family member to share their frustrations and questions with and get best answers, godly wisdom, fruitful reflection. Aunt Carol was that person for me. We shared the drive to trust and honor Jesus in our lives, and she often pointed me to Him when my young mind was spinning. I will miss her soft and quiet words.
As a child, my sisters and I playfully called her “Autie Carolynn!” with affected, high-pitched, pseudo-British accents. She always responded with fluttered eyelashes and a quiet chuckle. I remember smiles, always, whether she and Uncle Ron were playing cards with my parents, or gathered with us at Grandma Menge’s house, or taking me with them to Colorado for a week in the summer. All my memories are of laughter, sparkling eyes, and FUN together.
Aunt Carol’s death leaves a hole in our hearts, but I know we will be reunited soon. I imagine her laughing in Heaven with Grandma Menge, and her son who died in childbirth so many years ago, and Aunt Lois, and so many other friends and family who’ve gone before. They’re with Jesus, the Light and the Life. For them, the sorrows of this life are over. She was a good and faithful servant. Her legacy remains for all of us who know and love her.
