Philo David Ellison Jr.

Philo David Ellison, Jr.

Philo David Ellison, Jr. was born in Hillsboro, Texas on Thursday, January 1, 1925 to Philo David Ellison, Sr. (1894-1963) and Louvina Campbell Ellison (1897-1978). He was the third of what would be 8 children. They included Beedie (May), Opal, P.D., Ralph, Louis, Weldon, Louvina (Vina) and Van.

The family moved to Beasley, Texas in Fort Bend County when P.D. was about 10 years old. A few years later, they moved to 1142 W. 19th Street in Houston. That address is significant because that is where P.D. would live out his adult life beginning at about age 21.

After the family moved to Houston, he attended James F. Helm Elementary School, Alexander Hamilton Junior High and John H. Reagan High School.

It was during those early high school years that P.D. would meet a young lady by the name of Emily Oujesky. A few years later, on February 3, 1944 she would become Emily Ellison.

However, before that, on October 29,1943 P.D. enlisted in the Navy where he served for 2 ½ years working on airplanes. Not shying away from adventure, he would sometimes ride with the pilots during their training flights. It was during his time in the service that he and Emily would marry and settle down in Kingsville, where he was stationed at the Naval Auxiliary Air Station.

Following his service in the Navy, in 1946, P.D. and Emily would move back to Houston – back to 1142 W. 19th. It was in this house that they would raise four children; Georgia, David, Cindy and Pamela. They also have 9 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren.

P.D. spent his entire career as a printer, working first as an apprentice for the Houston Press as a teenager, then with Gulf printing, the Houston Post and finally the Houston Chronicle. He retired in 1993 at the age of 68.

P.D. was a life-long member of the Church of Christ, serving as a deacon in the church for a period.

As anyone who knew him could tell you, he loved plants and animals. Even before they started raising kids, he and Emily started raising rabbits and continued that business more than 70 years. He became a member of the Houston Fat Stock Show (now Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo) in 1951, serving as Superintendent of Rabbits beginning in 1971. P.D. remained a lifetime member of the organization.

In addition to the rabbits, the Ellison’s menagerie of animals included chickens, ducks, guinea pigs, horses, cows, dogs, cats, birds and fish.

P.D. also liked hunting with his son, David. They would go hunting for ducks where P.D. would display his shooting prowess. It is estimated that he would use a single shell for every box that David would go through.

He and Emily always had a flower garden- his favorite flower was the amaryllis. They also had a large vegetable garden where they grew tomatoes, okra, greens, cucumbers and a variety of other vegetables. They had a number of fruit trees as well, including pear, fig, plum and pecan. In fact, it is said that P.D. developed his great shooting skill by picking off squirrels that would eat on his pecans and other fruits. It is noteworthy that he was shooting these animals from his back porch – in the middle of Houston.

After their children were grown and out of the house, P.D. and Emily loved to travel with their friends the Belts and the Edwards. They traveled together all over the U.S. and to Canada. P.D. and Emily also had a travel trailer on Lake Livingston where they would spend time fishing, eating, riding bikes, playing dominos and just enjoying the outside.

In addition to traveling, P.D.’s hobbies included hunting, fishing, skeet shooting, antiquing and coin collecting. He also had a passion for playing cards and dominos. You didn’t want ot sit down to a card game with P.D. and Emily because they would cheat. He also enjoyed good food and often proclaimed that nobody cooked better than Emily. He was also known to enjoy a good cigar or pipe now and then.

P.D. spent the majority of his life at 1142 W. 19th Street in the Houston Heights. It is a place where more than 75 years of memories were made, and the place where the Ellison family called home.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.earthmanresthavenfuneralhome.com for the Ellison family.