Obituaries

Attorney Ellis E. Leighty, 92 years and 1 month, of 1200 East Grant Street, Macomb, passed away on Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 8:30 p.m. at Wesley Village Healthcare Center.

He was born on December 21, 1917 to Alvy L. Leighty and Bertha May Faler Leighty in New Salem Township, McDonough County. He attended one-room country schools through 7th grade level (8th grade only was being taught that year). Upon moving into Macomb with his family he took the 7th grade and graduated from Macomb High School in 1935. He took one year of graduate work at MHS. In 1936, he became employed as a central office clerk with The Macomb Production Credit Association until entering the Federal Service in March of 1941, when his unit, as part of the 33rd Division, Illinois National Guards was mobilized for 1 year's training.

Upon his discharge from the Army in November of 1945, he returned to the PCA in charge of the Carthage Field Office, resigning in February of 1946, to enroll in the College of Agriculture at the University of Illinois, from which he graduated in 1948 with a BS with honors. In the summer of 1948 he was employed by Doane Agricultural Services to work as a key land appraiser in Audobon County, Iowa. Returning to the U of I in the fall of 1949 he transferred to the College of Law, DePaul University, from which he received his J.D. degree in February of 1951. Upon his passing the State Bar Examination, he was licensed to practice law by the Illinois Supreme Court on June 18, 1951.

On May 31, 1959 he was united in marriage to Doris Lee Cook Miller, by Dr. Richard Newhall in Macomb in the Keys Fellowship Hall. At which time he acquired a step-son, Ronald James Miller, whom he later adopted as his son by proceedings here in McDonough County and given the name of Ronald James Leighty Miller.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 48 years, his brother, Clarence Leighty, his sister, Mable Beaver and her husband Arthur Beaver and his sister Edna Jurczyk and her husband Henry Jurczyk.

He is survived by his son, Ronald J. L. Miller of San Diego, California, his sister-in-law, Belva Leighty of Macomb, his nephew, Roger (Susan) Leighty of Peoria, his nephew, Steven (Lynne) Beaver of LaHarpe, his niece, Marsha (David) Wetmore of Macomb, his late wife's sister-in-law, Znobia Cook and her son, Donald (Cheryl) Cook, all of Jackson, Missouri.

Ellis became a member of the Wesley United Methodist Church in 1930 and has served his church and his Lord in many ways, both as a layman and a lawyer.

He had a life-long interest in music, both vocal and instrumental. In 1933 he became a member of the high school band when it was first formed; he also joined the high school boy's glee club. Instrumental wise he became a member of the church's Sunday School Orchestra, performing at opening excerises on Sunday School and at the opening of Sunday evening services, as well as performing at nursing homes, which was interrupted when he was mobilized in Federal Service, but picked up again when he was discharged and continued until the church relocated to its present site.

He joined the 123rd Field Artillery Band, when it was formed on April 11, 1937 and with it was mustered into Federal Service as a part of the 33rd Infantry Division, Illinois National Guards on March 5, 1941. Following Pearl Harbor, structural changes in the make up of Infantry Divisions caused the 123rd to be reassigned as the 208th F A Regimantal Band of 3rd Army Corps. Ellis rose through the ranks to become top sergeant (rank of Tech SGT) and assistant band director, a rank held through the remainder of his army service. In 1943, structural changes eliminated regiments in Corps Artillery and so his band unit along with the 204th F A Regimental band (a Utah National Guard band) to Camp Jackson, South Carolina, where the 106th Infantry Division was being formed as fully functioning bands. Both bands were later merged to become the Division band. In the fall of 1944, the 106th Division was shipped to the ETO, going thru England and on into the Ardennes Forrest in Belgium to replace the 2nd Infantry Division on a 26 mile front, facing the Germans on December 8th. On December 18th, the Division was hit by 2 SS Panzer units and 3 wermark as the start of the Battle of the Bulge. The Division lost 3 combat units, its Engineer Battalion, its Medical Battalion, many killed but many captured. The division headquarters, where the band was stationed at Vielsalm, Belgium, was pulled back into France when the Bulge was stabilized, where its depleted units were filled with new troops. Following the Remagan bridgehead capture, the alllied forces were capturing lots of German troops and so the 106th was shipped back into Germany to man the prisoner of war camps all up and down the Rhine river valley. Our Division band had two 15-piece dance bands (one from the former 208th and the other from the former 204th) and so one of those bands was shipped North toward Holland and the other South towards Switzerland to entertain our troops manning PW cages. After the war in the ETO was finished, the 106th was slated to return to the US to be deactivated. Since we had knocked about the states so long before going overseas, we didn't have enough points to get out of the service and so our original 208th bunch were transferred to the 35th Infantry Division Band, which was slated to go through the States and on to the Pacific Theatre. Before we got out of France, the war with Japan was over and so when we got back to the states aboard the Queen Mary, most of us had enough points to get discharged. Ellis received his honorable discharge at Camp Grant, Illinois in November of 1945 and returned back to Macomb. He was awarded the Bronze Star medal. He is a member of the American Legion.

While attending the University of Illinois, Ellis was a member of the "Marching Illini" football band for 4 years. On campus, Ellis became active in the Wesley Foundation singing in its choir. He also became Secretary to the newly formed Men's Independent Asscociation until leaving campus. He was elected to the University Student Senate in his Senior year. He was employed as a counselor in the Universtiy Men's Residence Halls. He also joined 3 honorary fraternities, Phi Eta Sigma (freshman) Alpha Zeta (agriculture) and Phi Alpha Delta (law). Upon being licensed to practice law in 1951, Ellis returned to Macomb and while visiting among Macomb attorneys, he was invited by Attorney Leonard C. Berry to hang out his shingle to begin the practice of law in space Leonard would provide. He later formed a partnership, Berry and Leighty and after a few years they were joined by Attorney John V. Simshouser, when the firm became Berry, Leighty and Simshauser. Leonard had to retire from the firm in 1964 because of a physical ailment, but Ellis and John continued under the firm name until they dissolved their partnership in March 31, 1990.

Since then, Ellis has had his license renewed and still is a licensed attorney, although his practice for the last several years is mostly limited in serving as retained legal counsel to the Fellheimer Trust Committee of Wesley UMC. In 1960 Ellis was appointed as Master-in-Chancery for McDonough County for the 9th Judicial District of Illinois and served as such until 1964 when the State Legislature adopted a new Judicial Article, which eliminated such office state wide.

Ellis was elected a Commissioner to the Macomb Park District, but resigned after 1 year so that the Commissioners could retain him as their legal counsel, a position he held for 20+ years until he retired. He served as legal counsel t the Trustees of the Everly Trust for 20 some years. In 1951, he joined the Macomb Optimist Club and served as its secretary/treasurer until it disbanded after 20 some years. He served a term as a Neighborhood Commissioner in the Boy Scouts of America. He was appointed to the Macomb Planning Commission when the first comprehensive plan and zoning ordinance was prepared and served as its secretary for 20+ years before resigning.

He was appointed several years in succession as a delegate at large from The Galesburg District to the Central Illinois Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. Ellis has served on many comittees and Boards in his local church. He is past president and current treasurer of the Friday morning Devotional Fellowship, a chartered fellowship. He is past Secretary and President of the Galesburg District United Methodist Men, past member of the Executive Committee and Chairman of the Nominating Committee of Conference UMM. Then a member of the newly formed Conference Executive Committee and member of its Nominating Committee, serving until failing health caused him to resign. He was appointed pro bono in house counsel to the Galesburg District Superintendent as a part of the Bishop's Counsel of lawyers under Confernce Chancellor Phil Hannah. Ellis was a counselor t the college age youth fellowship at his church. He was in on the establishment of the Wesley Foundation at WIU, drafted its Incorporation andis a past president of its board, in addition to serving as pro bonoin house counselor to its Director. Ellis was appointed t draft the Fellheimer Trust Agreement, once the church learned of Mr. Fellheimer's generous bequest of several millions. He had been retained as in house legal counsel to its Trust Committee since then. He was in on the conception of Wesley Village, drafted its Articles of Incorporation and By Laws and served as its initial attorney until the church ammended the Trust Agreement to require the Trustee to loan Wesley Village 3.5 milllion to forward with construction after its initial financing fell through, whereupon he resignedas attorney to Wesley Village.

Ellis' most famous legal client was Burel Ives, when Ellis served as local counsel to Burel and wife Helen in the purchase of Warren County, Illinois farm lands and again a few years later when they sold those lands as a part of their divorce proceedings.

Ellis joined NOMADS and attended 3 separate work camps along with his late wife, Doris Lee Leighty. He attended the Walk of Emmaus and since has met weekly with a reunion group of 5 to 6 other men who have been on the Walk. He has been a 70+ year member of Wesley United Methodist Church Choir and did solo work in its performance as well as singing at several weddings and funerals. He was a past member of the Community Chorus and participated in a couple of Summer Musical performances. Throughout it all he has intended that his accomplishment bring honor and glory to his Lord.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, January 29, 2010 at Wesley United Methodist Church. Rev. Russell Smith will officiate.

Visitation will be held from 10 to 11 a.m. Friday at the church. Burial will be in Oakwood Cemetery.

Memorials may be made to either Wesley United Methodist Church, Wesley Village or the charity of the donor's choice.

Clugston-Tibbitts Funeral Home in Macomb is in charge of arrangements.