Betty Lou Ellison

Chronicle Staff

Published: Wednesday, November 12th, 2008

  Betty Lou (Blubaugh) Ellison was born in Ft. Morgan, Colo., Nov. 18, 1929, to Earl and Sylvia (Hanneman) Blubaugh and grew up in Boulder, Colo. She attended Boulder High School and a business school in Denver. She married Charles R. Ellison (Dick) in 1950 of Boulder, who retired from Boulder Valley Schools as an electrician.  Dick and Betty raised their nine children in Boulder. They had a home-based greenhouse business, Willow Grove Greenhouse, and later added a florist shop in Louisville, Colo., called Louisville Florist & Gifts. In the late ’70s they moved their youngest two children to the Black Hills in South Dakota and purchased Blue Spruce Cabins & Campground of Hill City. They operated that business for 20 years, retired and lived in Custer, S.D., for another 10 years. A year ago, Dick and Betty moved to Berthoud, Colo.   Betty attended First Presbyterian of Boulder with her parents. Later, she attended the Assembly of God in Boulder. She was a long time member of the Assembly of God Church in Hill City and about 10 years with First Baptist of Custer,  where Pastor Bill and Marsha Savery serve.   Betty’s first love was her family. She was a loving wife and mother. She enjoyed gardening, serving the Lord and helping others by the giving of her talent in crafts. She loved her Samoyeds dogs, spending time with Dick when he fished. She loved visits, especially from her children and grandchildren.  Betty lost her life to cancer on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2008. She was 78. She was preceded in death by her son, Charles E. Ellison; and brothers, Bob, Victor, Charles and Earl Blubaugh. Survivors include her husband, Dick of Berthoud; children, Dan, Patricia, Barbara, Michael, Cherie, Cindy, Kelly, and Kerry; 24 grandchildren; numerous great-grandchildren; a brother, Harold (Charlotte) Blubaugh of Lale, Hawaii; Doris Blubaugh of Greeley, Colo.; and sister-in-law, Hazel Foote of Longmont, Colo.   Services were Nov. 10 at Allnutt Hunter Chapel. Pastors Bill Savery and Tom Webster officiated. Interment was at Greenlawn Cemetery in Berthoud, Colo.  Condolences and the family guest book can be found at www.allnutt.com.