Moore, Ellen Louise Lehr

On Jan. 19, 2011, Ellen Louise Lehr Moore went home to be with her husband, Calvin. Since Calvin was called home on Dec. 7, 2009, Ellen has been visiting Cedar Manor Nursing Home in Tipton.

Ellen originally came to Springville, Iowa on July 30, 1921, with mother, Bessie Mae (Hegarty) Lehr, and father, Earl Herbert Lehr. Ellen graduated from Springville high School, where she was active in choir and band. While at Highway Gardens in Stanwood, she met Calvin and, on Dec. 9, 1939, in Cedar Rapids, they pledged their love before God. They lacked two days of celebrating 70 years together farming near Tipton.

Ellen worked hard as a farmers' wife, as well as sold Avon, worked for Proctor & Gamble in Iowa City and several small shops in Tipton.

Ellen loved to crochet, knit, sew and make great candy (especially dipping chocolates). She spent many hours helping in the community and participating in Eastern Star, Women's Farm Bureau, 4-H leader, Tipton High School Band Committee and on the Board of Special Education.

During this time Ellen gave Calvin a son, Douglas (Donna) Moore, who now resides in Ellinwood, Kan. About two years later she gave Calvin a daughter, Cheri (Bud) Crisp, who now resides in Menifee, Calif., and Tipton, Iowa.

Doug and Cheri have given Ellen and Calvin six grandchildren, Jeffrey (Arlene), Robert (Tammy) and Patrick Moore, all of Oklahoma, Senior Chief Petty Officer Dennis (Christine) Moore of Atoka, Tenn., Barton (Lisa) Miller of Clarence and Darren (Ann) Miller of Tipton;three stepgrandchildren, Tammy Crisp (James) Underwood of Rialto, Calif., Todd Crisp of California and Chad Chain of Ellinwood, Kan.; 17 great-grandchildren; and four great-great-grandchildren.

Ellen and Calvin's love for their family was, and still is, the tie that binds them together. Ellen knew she and Calvin were only visiting Iowa and they would be going home to spend eternity with Jesus when He needed them. Though she will miss her sister-in-law, Betty McGregor of Lone Tree, she will once again see her father, mother, sister (Doris Bingham), two great-granddaughters (June and Laura Moore) and many other family and friends called home before her. She will no longer feel the pain of cancer and best of all she will be watching over her beloved family while they continue their journey of this life.

You may be thinking, why is Calvin mentioned so much, instead of just Ellen, since it is her life we are reviewing? The answer is simple; they are two people who joined as one. They never made decisions without thinking of the other person's wants or needs. This is why they enjoyed a successful 70-year marriage. Therefore, you cannot mention Ellen without including Calvin.

There will be a visitation on Monday, Jan. 24, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Fry Funeral Home in Tipton, with a celebration of Ellen's life on Tuesday at 10 a.m. at the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Golden Rule Masonic Lodge 24 or Cedar Manor Nursing Home in Ellen's memory.