Mrs. Annette Ellington

          Annette Ellington was born May 9, 1942 in Fort Worth, Texas to Robert Jewel Yarbrough of Dallas and Oma Jaqueline Yarbrough (Geron) of Bosque County, Texas.   Annette spent the early years of her life with her beloved grandparents Mr. and Mrs., George Edgar Geron of Fort Worth. Annette had many fond memories of those years, one of which was the frequent and always fun trips on the bus to Leonard’s Department store in downtown Fort Worth which was quite a show place in its day.                 Later she went to live with her mother and stepfather, Leo Box. He was in law enforcement work which resulted in frequent moves during her early adolescent years. The family eventually settled in Odessa where they lived for the next several years and Annette graduated high school at Odessa Permian before beginning her career in the working world.                 She and Richard met in 1961 and were married January 26, 1962 in Midland. After living and working in Odessa for a time they loaded all their worldly possessions into a small U-Haul trailer and headed off to Big D.                 Richard and Annette desired to start a family shortly after the move.  Their son, Eric Shaun, was born July 5, 1965 and passed away upon birth.  Two years later on June 7, 1967 their daughter Amy Lynne was born. In Dallas Annette worked at several jobs in the construction industry before deciding to go out on her own in the field she had grown to love. Always a creative person, she had developed her natural talent for painting while studying with several accomplished artists in the Dallas area. In 1972 she and Richard launched the Orange Tree in Duncanville. She enjoyed her years painting, teaching and picture framing which built the Orange Tree into a successful business.  A piece of her heart was left behind when she had to sell the business in 1976 due to Richard’s transfer to Minnesota with IBM.                 She soon returned to Texas and lived out the remainder of her life in Austin. While there, she was also able to reconnect with her beloved Aunt Billie Muse of Burleson. She made frequent trips to visit her Aunt Billie almost always capped off with an evening of fun and dancing at the Elks Lodge in Burleson. Annette continued to pursue her artistic endeavors until health problems got in the way. As a testament to her boundless generosity, Annette left a legacy of her art work scattered among her wide circle of family and friends.    Annette departed this earth December 13, 2015 knowing that she was truly loved and cherished by those who knew her well. To fulfill one of her last wishes she will be interred with her infant son Eric Shaun at Laurel Land Cemetery in Dallas, Texas. Along with Richard, her husband of almost 54 years, Annette leaves behind her daughter Amy Lynne Shipman and son-in-law, Ldon; grandchildren Dakota and Sierra Shipman; stepgrandchildren Glen Shipman, Jr. and Wes Shipman; three great-grandchildren; and Brothers, Alan Franklin Box of Burleson, Texas and Geron Kent Box of New Orleans, Louisiana and her beloved Aunt Billie Muse of Keller, Texas. Also, her daughter of the heart Kim Woudstra, husband Jim Woudstra and their children Abbey and Parker of Frisco, Texas She was preceded in death by her parents, infant son, and numerous aunts and uncles.   Memorial Service Saturday January 2, 2016, 11:00 a.m. at Wilshire Baptist Church, Dallas, Texas Click for Map and Directions   Memorial Service Saturday January 9, 2016, 11:00 a.m. at Cook-Walden Chapel of the Hills Funeral Home, Austin, Texas. Click for Map and Directions