Obituary for Ellen Trail
Funeral services to celebrate Ellen’s life will be 2:30 PM Sun. Jan. 29, 2023, at the South Colonial Chapel.
F. Ellen (Hathaway) Trail, 92, passed on from this life into the waiting arms of her Lord and Savior on January 19, 2023. She was born in Middletown, OH on October 10, 1930, to Leonard Everett Hathaway & Laura Ellen (Stoutenborough) Hathaway. Ellen had a sister, Betty, and a brother, Carl. She grew up on a farm on the Miami River on the edge of Franklin, OH. She graduated from Franklin High School.
After completing high school, Ellen worked as secretary to the High School Principal until she decided to continue her education. She attended the Katherine Gibbs Secretarial College in Chicago and graduated in 1952. While attending school, she met her future husband, Charles (Chuck) Eugene Trail on a blind date. Two years later (1953) they were married at the Presbyterian Church in Franklin. They were married 56 years – until Chuck passed away in 2009.
For the first six years of marriage, they lived in Topeka, KS where they had 3 children (Mark, Debbi, Melody). A job relocation moved the family to Okla. City in 1959. They moved into their home that year and added Susan a few years later. Ellen lived in that house on SW 63rd until her death. Ellen’s “second home” in Okla. City was her church Hillcrest Christian, where many life friends were made.
Ellen was a homemaker and stay-at-home mom until her youngest started school. She worked for various oil field related companies as a bookkeeper. She spent 16 years United Wholesale Florist. She then retired in 1996.
Ellen had the gift organization and had a servant’s heart. She served at her church in many roles. She taught 3rd – 4th grade Sunday School class at Hillcrest for 37 years. One of her great blessings in life was to have her former Sunday School students come back and tell her how special she was to them and their spiritual growth. They remember her Bible stories and crafts, playing bells at Christmas time and how Jesus Christ was their Savior if they believed in Him. Ellen also cooked for Mobile Meals through the church for 20 years. Ellen also served as Girl Scouts cookie chairperson, filled various PTA roles, and worked 25+ years as a precinct poll worker.
Ellen loved to play card games – all her life. She played bridge with the same groups of people for many years. In fact, she played cards with three special friends until the last few months of her life. She enjoyed watching sports – especially if her children, grandchildren, or OSU were playing. She was a great cheer leader.
Ellen cooked many things from “scratch” (recipes from her Mom) – her famous chicken and with handmade egg noodles, Christmas cookies and candies (peanut brittle was a specialty), and cinnamon rolls. Her last hobby was covering coat hangers with yarn. She said it kept her hands busy. Through the years she probably made over 10,000 hangers and she gave them to hundreds of people who were delighted to receive them.
The memories Ellen made with her family will be cherished forever. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Chuck and her sister, Betty Robinson & husband Bob, and granddaughter Carrie Anne Trail. She is survived by her son, Mark Trail & wife Debbie; daughters Debbi Trail, Melody Wright & husband, Joe Bob, Susan McFee & husband, Sam. Surviving grandchildren are Taleri and Justan (wife Cate) Wright, Matthew (wife Allison) and Cody Trail (wife Ashley), and Nathan and Joshua McFee and great grandchildren Weston Trail and Adelyn Wright; brother Carl Hathaway & wife, Nancy, sister-in-law Sandy Nichols, brother-in-law Ray Trail & wife, Rosa, and many nephews, nieces, and close neighbors and friends.
To leave an online condolence for the family, please go to the Memory Wall tab on this page.
F. Ellen (Hathaway) Trail, 92, passed on from this life into the waiting arms of her Lord and Savior on January 19, 2023. She was born in Middletown, OH on October 10, 1930, to Leonard Everett Hathaway & Laura Ellen (Stoutenborough) Hathaway. Ellen had a sister, Betty, and a brother, Carl. She grew up on a farm on the Miami River on the edge of Franklin, OH. She graduated from Franklin High School.
After completing high school, Ellen worked as secretary to the High School Principal until she decided to continue her education. She attended the Katherine Gibbs Secretarial College in Chicago and graduated in 1952. While attending school, she met her future husband, Charles (Chuck) Eugene Trail on a blind date. Two years later (1953) they were married at the Presbyterian Church in Franklin. They were married 56 years – until Chuck passed away in 2009.
For the first six years of marriage, they lived in Topeka, KS where they had 3 children (Mark, Debbi, Melody). A job relocation moved the family to Okla. City in 1959. They moved into their home that year and added Susan a few years later. Ellen lived in that house on SW 63rd until her death. Ellen’s “second home” in Okla. City was her church Hillcrest Christian, where many life friends were made.
Ellen was a homemaker and stay-at-home mom until her youngest started school. She worked for various oil field related companies as a bookkeeper. She spent 16 years United Wholesale Florist. She then retired in 1996.
Ellen had the gift organization and had a servant’s heart. She served at her church in many roles. She taught 3rd – 4th grade Sunday School class at Hillcrest for 37 years. One of her great blessings in life was to have her former Sunday School students come back and tell her how special she was to them and their spiritual growth. They remember her Bible stories and crafts, playing bells at Christmas time and how Jesus Christ was their Savior if they believed in Him. Ellen also cooked for Mobile Meals through the church for 20 years. Ellen also served as Girl Scouts cookie chairperson, filled various PTA roles, and worked 25+ years as a precinct poll worker.
Ellen loved to play card games – all her life. She played bridge with the same groups of people for many years. In fact, she played cards with three special friends until the last few months of her life. She enjoyed watching sports – especially if her children, grandchildren, or OSU were playing. She was a great cheer leader.
Ellen cooked many things from “scratch” (recipes from her Mom) – her famous chicken and with handmade egg noodles, Christmas cookies and candies (peanut brittle was a specialty), and cinnamon rolls. Her last hobby was covering coat hangers with yarn. She said it kept her hands busy. Through the years she probably made over 10,000 hangers and she gave them to hundreds of people who were delighted to receive them.
The memories Ellen made with her family will be cherished forever. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Chuck and her sister, Betty Robinson & husband Bob, and granddaughter Carrie Anne Trail. She is survived by her son, Mark Trail & wife Debbie; daughters Debbi Trail, Melody Wright & husband, Joe Bob, Susan McFee & husband, Sam. Surviving grandchildren are Taleri and Justan (wife Cate) Wright, Matthew (wife Allison) and Cody Trail (wife Ashley), and Nathan and Joshua McFee and great grandchildren Weston Trail and Adelyn Wright; brother Carl Hathaway & wife, Nancy, sister-in-law Sandy Nichols, brother-in-law Ray Trail & wife, Rosa, and many nephews, nieces, and close neighbors and friends.
To leave an online condolence for the family, please go to the Memory Wall tab on this page.