Ellen Alberta Dougan

Ellen Alberta Lawson Dougan was born March 3,1949, in Chicago, Illinois, and passed peacefully into the next life on July 20, 2026, in her longtime home of Grandview, Missouri. When she was three years old her family moved to the tiny town of Corona, Kansas, before settling in to Columbus, Kansas, where she owned that town! A cheerleader and homecoming attendant, the ever socially involved Ellen was a force to be reckoned with. She was the third of six siblings but the firstborn girl and was the apple of her daddy’s eye for whom she was named. Her father Albert was a proud member of the Cherokee nation who unfortunately succumbed to cancer during Ellen’s senior year of high school. It was partly due to this traumatic experience that Ellen decided to pursue a career in nursing and upon graduating, left Columbus for the big city to attend St. Luke’s all-girls School of Nursing in Kansas City.

Never lacking in confidence, Ellen took on this grand adventure with gusto. She instantly made friends, including with Sharon Dougan who invited her home where Ellen quite literally stumbled upon seeing Sharon’s older brother Jim on the living room floor in his Marine fatigue pants, combat boots and no shirt while watching the Three Stooges. She was smitten and as legend goes, it didn’t take long after that first encounter for a love story for the ages to begin. Together Jim and Ellen raised three children, doted on nine grandchildren and were absolutely enamored with their six great-grandchildren. The essence of who they were and what they did was always family. They were married 55 years before Jim passed last June. Ellen, ever courageous in her zest for life, never quite recovered from his absence. She was a go-getter to the end but even she could not out run the profound heartache losing Jim brought.

Throughout her many years in Kansas City, Ellen worked as a nurse in various capacities at St.Lukes, St.Josephs and for a while, as a traveling nurse. She was the quintessential volunteer in all the programs and organizations close to her heart or whatever her kids were involved in. At one point in time, she was room mom for all three kids the same year. One thing Ellen had in abundance was energy! She organized and chaired several American Cancer Society silent auctions, was an avid and devoted member of DEARS with the Elk’s Lodge, threw more parties than anyone could ever recount and whenever a friend or a friend of a friend was in need, Ellen was there with food for an army or organizing a brigade to help solve a problem. She made and delivered baskets filled with goodies and necessities for the Veterans home, played in two weekly Bridge games with friends, loved going to the dinner theater, was active in her local Community of Christ congregation, and never missed a celebration or special event for any of her grandchildren. Quite simply, Ellen was present in other people’s lives and truly wanted to lend a helping hand.

She is survived by her three grateful children. Philip (Elizabeth), Julie Vaughan (Kirk), and Jason. Her grandchildren Riley (Molly; Wesley), Austin, Eli; Dylon Vaughn (Ronie; Patton, Warren), Demi Parker (Wyatt; Reagan, Nixon, Hayes), Daleny; Matthew, Jacob and Benjamin. Her siblings Terry Lawson (Carol), Cindy Starrett (John), Todd Lawson (Debbie), Jill Knight (Richie),Jane Lawson her sister-in-law, and Jim’s siblings Linda Jacobs (Larry), Sharon Dougan, Jerry Dougan (Sonya) and many nieces and nephews who loved her so.

She is preceded in death by her father Albert Lawson, her mother Nadine Lawson, her brother Richard Lawson, her father-in-law Bob Dougan, her mother-in-law Wilma Dougan, her niece Natasha Losey, and her beloved husband Jim.