Charlene Joy Ellis, 69, died Aug. 13, 2018, at Mountain View Rehabilitation and Care Center in Marysville, Washington.  

She was born to Marion and Orcella (Ronning) Ellis on Aug. 10, 1949, in Hendricks, Minnesota. She graduated from Brookings High School and later earned her bachelor and master’s degrees from South Dakota State University in Brookings.  

Charlene taught at SDSU until 1987. She then moved to the Seattle area, where she continued her career in child development, managing a child-care center at Seattle University and teaching at Shoreline Community College. 

She was cremated and a memorial service will be held at a later date in Edmonds, Washington.  

Charlene was preceded in death by her parents, sister Patricia and brother-in-law, John Straub. She is survived by her two brothers, Roland (Rebecca) and David (Kandace), and six nieces and nephews. 

Memorials can be shared at https://www.elementalnw.com/obituaries.