Ellen C. Rexroad

Ellen and her Identical twin sister, Helen, were born to Mr. and Mrs. Lumis Coats on June 3, 1932 in the North Carolina town of Laurinburg. At the age of 4 1/2 Ellen's father was killed while supervising the construction of electric power lines throughout the Carolinas. Her Mother, older sister Carolyn and twins, Ellen and Helen moved to live with Grandparents on their farm near Cairo, Georgia. Ellen loved life on the farm. She became an excellent "Equestrian" (the envy of her city friends) and the lover of things that grew out of the soil. Most of all she learned to work hard. She and Helen led the Cairo girl’s basketball team to successful seasons in their High School years. Soon after graduating, Ellen fell in love with and married Bob Berryhill of Lakeland, GA. They had a son and named him Jimmy. Living on a lake in Lakeland, Ellen became a skillful water-skier. Bob's work was in sales and he traveled throughout a large region of Georgia and Florida. When Jimmy started school, Ellen began work at Sears in Valdosta. Little did she realize that was the beginning of a 22-year career with Sears. Ellen's first assignment was in the Garden Shop. Her hard work and ability was soon recognized and she was promoted to the Personnel Department. Ellen was able to move her Sears employment when her husband's work with Comcast took them to Albany, Georgia and then later to Tallahassee where they settled down, to enjoy life, and raise their son Jimmy. Life was pleasant, before long Jimmy was married, and had two children, a daughter Pattie and son Bobby. While returning from a from a friend's daughter's graduation party in Lakeland, Bob was killed in a motorcycle accident. Realizing that Ellen would require more income as a single Mother, the Manager at Sears, W.L. Jamieson, placed Ellen in the Furniture and Appliance Department where, like her other positions, Ellen became a success.

What you have read to this point has been part of Ellen's Obituary. Now you will read about Ellen in a story told by her grieving husband.

On a day in late December 1973, Ellen met a customer who said he had recently moved to Tallahassee. He told her that he had moved into a small apartment thinking he could rent essential furniture. The rental furniture had not turned out to be suitable and he now needed to buy a sleeper sofa and a small kitchen table. That was all he needed until he decided if he was going to stay in Tallahassee. She sold him the sofa, table, and two chairs. Later she learned that the customer turned out to be retired Marine Lt. Col. Donald Rexroad. Two days later, Lt Col. Rexroad turned up at Sears and told Ellen that he had just joined The Killearn Golf and Country Club. A big celebration was planned at the Club for New Year's Eve. He asked, "Would the lady be his date for New Year's Eve"? After some careful thought, she answered "Yes", but she did not realize that her New Year's Eve date was her husband to be!

Ellen and Don were married on March 8, 1975 in a small ceremony at the Kumler (now Killearn) Methodist Church. A new life that would last 47 years had begun. Don had taken a position with Northwestern Mutual Life, following in his father's profession. In October, they moved into their newly constructed house on The Killearn Golf Course 4" hole. After only 4 years, life was to take a sharp curve when Ellen and Don gained custody of Ellen's two small grandchildren Pattie and Bobby. For the next 11 years, life was certainly different but still pleasant for Ellen and Don. For middle-agers, raising grandchildren had been a new and challenging experience.

After the grandchildren had grown, Ellen came home from work at Sears one day and said she wanted to retire. Ellen had often said that she envied her sister Helen's Garden Shop business in Cairo, Georgia. In a few weeks, a former service station/bait shop at the corner of Thomasville and Bradfordville Roads was leased. "Bloomers by Ellen" became an ongoing business for the sale of plants and flowers. After several years, however, Ellen's insistence on providing a quality product at an economical price became the victim of the mass production by the "big stores" and the sign "Bloomers by Ellen" came down. The disappointment did not last. A short time later, one of the happiest times in Ellen's life began when she and her husband started their RV travels which lasted nearly nine years. They travelled into all 48 States and the West, Middle, and East of Canada. RV travel was interrupted by vacations in Hawaii, Mexico, Acapulco, the Bahamas, Jamaica, and the Island of Martinique. In between her travels, Ellen spent her time doing what she loved best, caring for her plants and flowers.

Time took its toll. Don had reached the age where his ability to weave a forty ft RV, towing a vehicle through heavy traffic had diminished to an unsafe condition. Had age slowed Ellen too??

On a sunny day in June of 2010, Ellen arrived home to tell her husband that she was going back to work! Friends that she had known for years, the Turners, were opening another Furniture Store. It was to be located on Thomasville Rd. just across the Florida/Georgia line. They insisted that Ellen join them. Only a few people are able to say "they were happy to work the last years of their life", Ellen could. She loved the Turner Family and They Loved Her!

Ellen's journey is now over and St Peter is going to assign her a responsible job. I know God will put her in the Flower and Garden Department or if needed, Ellen can sell furniture.

Ellen is survived by her husband, Donald Rexroad; her identical twin sister, Helen Thorsby of Flowery Branch, GA.; Stepson, Kirk (Ann) Rexroad of Navarre, FL.; grandchildren: Pattie (Michael) Whiting of Tallahassee; Bobby Berryhill of Panama City; Jamie Rexroad of Winchester, VA. Great Grandchildren: Brandon and Shelby Whiting of Tallahassee. Among her many loving nieces and nephews are Ellen Montgomery, Flowery Branch, GA.; Susan O'Neal (Alan), Atlanta, GA.; Dennis (Linda) Rexroad of Taylorville, IL.; Gary (Sandy) Rexroad, Taylorville, IL.; Linda Schroate, Springfield, IL.; Doug Rexroad, NM.; Lt. Col. USMC Ret. Bruce (Angel) Rexroad, Huntsville, AL.; James Rexroad Jr., Grand Junction, CO.; Michael Rexroad, WA.; Carol Moses, NY. Preceding her in death are her son, Jimmy Berryhill, parents Lumis and Helen Coats, grandparents Ida and Joe Pearce, sister and brother-in-law Carolyn and Shirley Brown. And her first husband, Bob Berryhill. And a host of loving nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Ellen will be interred in the Coats Plot in The Cairo City Cemetery, where she will share with her husband. Upon his death, Ellen and Don will share a grave at the Tallahassee National Memorial Cemetery. A memorial service will be held at the Cairo First United Methodist Church on Wednesday, March 23, 2022 at 11:00 AM.

The family wishes to thank the wonderful people of Big Bend Hospice and Culley's MeadowWood for their assistance.

In remembrance of Ellen, in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Leon County Humane Society.

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