Ellen "Dolly" Jane (Wells) Adams, 90, passed away peacefully at home in the early evening of April 4th, 2021. At the time of her death, she resided with her daughter, Brenda, and son-in-law, Frank, in Durham, North Carolina.
While raising her family, she lived in Toledo and Fairborn, OH; Camp Lejeune, NC; China Lake, CA; Joplin, MO; Silver Springs and Bowie, MD; and for almost 30 years in Brookfield Center, CT.
Ellen attended Waite High School in Toledo, OH.
She married John Robert Adams, also of Toledo, on May 25, 1950. John served in the Marine Corps and they were married almost 54 years at the time of his passing.
Ellen worked as a switchboard operator, a cosmetologist and a machine operator. She also worked in two family businesses; a grocery store and a gift shop. She spent many years as a loving homemaker.
Before she moved to Durham, John and Ellen spent their final years together at High Rock Lake, in a beautiful house overlooking a cove.
Her children and grandchildren fondly remember her as a spirited and lively woman, doing cartwheels in her driveway and singing silly songs in the kitchen. Ellen's eyes lit up whenever she was presented with anything chocolate and she loved Hershey's Kisses. She enjoyed dancing and singing. She enjoyed all types of flowers, and loved everything in the color yellow or orange. She was a caring, devoted mother and will be missed more than words can say.
She is preceded in her death by her husband, John Robert Adams, brothers, James Wells and William Wells and sisters, Norma Sprow and Betty Horne.
She is survived by her daughters, Brenda Kay Adams van Orsouw (wife of Frank van Orsouw, Durham) and Rebecca Gay Adams (Greensboro); son, Jeffery Jay Adams (husband of Karen Sullivan Adams, New Milford, CT); grandchildren, Hadley Adams Iliff (wife of Justin Nolan), Steven Iliff (Hadley's father), Lindsey Nicole Christy (wife of Justin Christy), Alec Jon van Orsouw, Heather Elizabeth Shenk (wife of Cody Shenk) and John Robert Adams II; great-grandchild Luke Anderson Christy; as well as many nieces, nephews, grandnieces, grandnephews and other relatives.
Ellen Jane Wells Adams was laid to rest with her husband, in the National Cemetery in Salisbury, NC.
Source: Clements Funeral & Cremation Services, Inc., Durham, NC
While raising her family, she lived in Toledo and Fairborn, OH; Camp Lejeune, NC; China Lake, CA; Joplin, MO; Silver Springs and Bowie, MD; and for almost 30 years in Brookfield Center, CT.
Ellen attended Waite High School in Toledo, OH.
She married John Robert Adams, also of Toledo, on May 25, 1950. John served in the Marine Corps and they were married almost 54 years at the time of his passing.
Ellen worked as a switchboard operator, a cosmetologist and a machine operator. She also worked in two family businesses; a grocery store and a gift shop. She spent many years as a loving homemaker.
Before she moved to Durham, John and Ellen spent their final years together at High Rock Lake, in a beautiful house overlooking a cove.
Her children and grandchildren fondly remember her as a spirited and lively woman, doing cartwheels in her driveway and singing silly songs in the kitchen. Ellen's eyes lit up whenever she was presented with anything chocolate and she loved Hershey's Kisses. She enjoyed dancing and singing. She enjoyed all types of flowers, and loved everything in the color yellow or orange. She was a caring, devoted mother and will be missed more than words can say.
She is preceded in her death by her husband, John Robert Adams, brothers, James Wells and William Wells and sisters, Norma Sprow and Betty Horne.
She is survived by her daughters, Brenda Kay Adams van Orsouw (wife of Frank van Orsouw, Durham) and Rebecca Gay Adams (Greensboro); son, Jeffery Jay Adams (husband of Karen Sullivan Adams, New Milford, CT); grandchildren, Hadley Adams Iliff (wife of Justin Nolan), Steven Iliff (Hadley's father), Lindsey Nicole Christy (wife of Justin Christy), Alec Jon van Orsouw, Heather Elizabeth Shenk (wife of Cody Shenk) and John Robert Adams II; great-grandchild Luke Anderson Christy; as well as many nieces, nephews, grandnieces, grandnephews and other relatives.
Ellen Jane Wells Adams was laid to rest with her husband, in the National Cemetery in Salisbury, NC.
Source: Clements Funeral & Cremation Services, Inc., Durham, NC
Ellen "Dolly" Jane (Wells) Adams, 90, passed away peacefully at home in the early evening of April 4th, 2021. At the time of her death, she resided with her daughter, Brenda, and son-in-law, Frank, in Durham, North Carolina.
While raising her family, she lived in Toledo and Fairborn, OH; Camp Lejeune, NC; China Lake, CA; Joplin, MO; Silver Springs and Bowie, MD; and for almost 30 years in Brookfield Center, CT.
Ellen attended Waite High School in Toledo, OH.
She married John Robert Adams, also of Toledo, on May 25, 1950. John served in the Marine Corps and they were married almost 54 years at the time of his passing.
Ellen worked as a switchboard operator, a cosmetologist and a machine operator. She also worked in two family businesses; a grocery store and a gift shop. She spent many years as a loving homemaker.
Before she moved to Durham, John and Ellen spent their final years together at High Rock Lake, in a beautiful house overlooking a cove.
Her children and grandchildren fondly remember her as a spirited and lively woman, doing cartwheels in her driveway and singing silly songs in the kitchen. Ellen's eyes lit up whenever she was presented with anything chocolate and she loved Hershey's Kisses. She enjoyed dancing and singing. She enjoyed all types of flowers, and loved everything in the color yellow or orange. She was a caring, devoted mother and will be missed more than words can say.
She is preceded in her death by her husband, John Robert Adams, brothers, James Wells and William Wells and sisters, Norma Sprow and Betty Horne.
She is survived by her daughters, Brenda Kay Adams van Orsouw (wife of Frank van Orsouw, Durham) and Rebecca Gay Adams (Greensboro); son, Jeffery Jay Adams (husband of Karen Sullivan Adams, New Milford, CT); grandchildren, Hadley Adams Iliff (wife of Justin Nolan), Steven Iliff (Hadley's father), Lindsey Nicole Christy (wife of Justin Christy), Alec Jon van Orsouw, Heather Elizabeth Shenk (wife of Cody Shenk) and John Robert Adams II; great-grandchild Luke Anderson Christy; as well as many nieces, nephews, grandnieces, grandnephews and other relatives.
Ellen Jane Wells Adams was laid to rest with her husband, in the National Cemetery in Salisbury, NC.
Source: Clements Funeral & Cremation Services, Inc., Durham, NC
While raising her family, she lived in Toledo and Fairborn, OH; Camp Lejeune, NC; China Lake, CA; Joplin, MO; Silver Springs and Bowie, MD; and for almost 30 years in Brookfield Center, CT.
Ellen attended Waite High School in Toledo, OH.
She married John Robert Adams, also of Toledo, on May 25, 1950. John served in the Marine Corps and they were married almost 54 years at the time of his passing.
Ellen worked as a switchboard operator, a cosmetologist and a machine operator. She also worked in two family businesses; a grocery store and a gift shop. She spent many years as a loving homemaker.
Before she moved to Durham, John and Ellen spent their final years together at High Rock Lake, in a beautiful house overlooking a cove.
Her children and grandchildren fondly remember her as a spirited and lively woman, doing cartwheels in her driveway and singing silly songs in the kitchen. Ellen's eyes lit up whenever she was presented with anything chocolate and she loved Hershey's Kisses. She enjoyed dancing and singing. She enjoyed all types of flowers, and loved everything in the color yellow or orange. She was a caring, devoted mother and will be missed more than words can say.
She is preceded in her death by her husband, John Robert Adams, brothers, James Wells and William Wells and sisters, Norma Sprow and Betty Horne.
She is survived by her daughters, Brenda Kay Adams van Orsouw (wife of Frank van Orsouw, Durham) and Rebecca Gay Adams (Greensboro); son, Jeffery Jay Adams (husband of Karen Sullivan Adams, New Milford, CT); grandchildren, Hadley Adams Iliff (wife of Justin Nolan), Steven Iliff (Hadley's father), Lindsey Nicole Christy (wife of Justin Christy), Alec Jon van Orsouw, Heather Elizabeth Shenk (wife of Cody Shenk) and John Robert Adams II; great-grandchild Luke Anderson Christy; as well as many nieces, nephews, grandnieces, grandnephews and other relatives.
Ellen Jane Wells Adams was laid to rest with her husband, in the National Cemetery in Salisbury, NC.
Source: Clements Funeral & Cremation Services, Inc., Durham, NC
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