Oreta Cammell Ellis

Memorial Services Oreta Cammell Ellis, 81, Houston Texas resident, will be held 1:00 P.M., Sunday October 10, 2021 in the Kiesau Memorial Chapel and under the direction of Kiesau-Lee Funeral Home. Oreta Cammell Ellis passed on to her heavenly reward September 14, 2021, in Webster, Texas. She was 81. Oreta was the daughter of Walter Widener and Cammell Beulah (Bowman) Widener. She was the sister of Walter Widener Jr., who passed away at birth; Nick Widener, who lives with his wife Marilyn in Pocasset, Oklahoma; and Donna Stehr Coon, who lives in Clinton, Oklahoma. Oreta grew up in Clinton, Oklahoma, and graduated from Clinton High School. She was a student at Southwestern State College, in Weatherford, when she met a handsome fellow student named Earl Kent Ellis, of Dill City, Oklahoma. They married on January 1, 1960, and shared a lifetime of happiness, before Kent passed away on July 2, 2017. Kent was a Church of Christ preacher and the couple moved frequently from place to place and from congregation to congregation. They began their married life in Oklahoma, but soon relocated to Texas, where they remained for good, residing in Seminole, Lufkin, Bryan-College Station, Austin, and Houston and its environs, before finally retiring to Fredericksburg, in the Texas Hill Country. Along the way, Oreta worked for many years as an executive in the banking industry and later as a professional event planner and caterer. She was an excellent cook and particularly enjoyed preparing elaborate holiday feasts for her family. Oreta and Kent had three children: Mark lives with his wife Tami in Houston, Texas; Angela lives with her husband Greg in Houston; and James lives with his wife Joy in Hong Kong. Oreta had eight grandchildren: Mark’s children, Bethany, Kent, and Hannah; Angela’s children, Geoffrey, Reagan, and Elisabeth; and James’ children, James Jr. and Annie. Oreta adored her great-grandchildren: Danielle, Marshall, Oliver, Lily, Graham, and Avonlea. At the time of Oreta’s passing, two new great-grandchildren were on their way. Oreta enjoyed telling stories about her childhood, various adventures, and the memorable people she had known. She had a unique way of expressing herself, with an entertaining mixture of sincerity, warmth, and wit. It was always a special treat when Oreta and Kent told stories in tandem; they were a perfect team. Oreta Ellis shined a bright light into this world and warmed the hearts of many people. Those she left behind will remember her with great love. She will be buried beside her beloved husband in a private cemetery near Putnam, Oklahoma.