Elizabeth "Betsy" Ellis

ELIZABETH (BETSY) ELLIS, age 85, passed away peacefully on April 25, 2025. A Madison native, she was the daughter of Peter and Edna Annen. She was the middle of eleven children: Donald (Dorothy) Annen, Roland (Jean) Annen, Janet (Tony) Lombardino, Doris (Charles) Welby, Robert (Delores) Annen, Lorna (Joel) Annen, Michael (Jane) Annen, Marilyn Krall, Rodney Annen, and Richard (Mary) Annen. She remained very close to her siblings throughout her life and also enjoyed her many nieces and nephews. She enjoyed planning family Christmas parties as well as the annual “Annen” Camp- where her themed costumes were a big hit. 

She was preceded in death by her husband Robert Charles Ellis. She had three children: Amy (Juan) Colas, her “favorite son” Robert (Jeannette) Ellis, and Virginia (David) Dvorak and the joy of her life were her grandchildren, also known as “The Sweet Tarts”: Elena Colas, Grace (Kevin) Atherton, Abigail (Chad) Peat, Anna Ellis, Genevieve Ellis, and Peter Ellis, and most recently her great grandchild Michael Juan Atherton.

Betsy retired at age 50 from First Wisconsin Bank where she started as a check sorter from 1960 to 1964, returned as a proof operator in 1967 and worked in bookkeeping , retiring a bank officer in 1989. She made many lifelong friends at work. After retiring, she volunteered as a docent at the State Historical Society for 20 years, volunteered at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, and also tutored children for Mrs. Murphy at Falk Elementary School. Many of the kids referred to her as “Gramma Betsy”.She enjoyed attending musicals and travelling with her husband Bob and dear friends: the Cassinis, the Dorans, and the Kerwins. Betsy had a love of drawing, arts, and musicals. More recently she enjoyed weekly movies with her sisters Jane and Lorna, monthly lunches with her siblings as well as long phone conversations with her sisters Janet and Doris. She always looked forward to participating on the Annen trivia team- “The A Team” each Monday.

In her final years she suffered from RA and Polymyalgia and the family would like to thank her in home caretaker Marilyn Anderson, the caretakers at Bright Star, her Primary doctor Dr Ekpunobi and Agrace Hospice (Isaac).If you ever met Betsy, you remembered her. She was loyal, tough, outspoken, and fervently cared about her loved ones (often referred to as “you people”)- this love is what sustained her during her painful illness. In her memory, the family requests anyone who remembers her to reach out to a friend or loved one today in her honor.Those wishing to make a contribution in her memory, please donate to Agrace Hospice.

A celebration of Betsy’s life will be held at 11:30 am Wednesday, May 21, 2025 at the Cress Center, 6021 University Ave., Madison, WI 53705. Visitation will be from 10:00 am until the time of the service. 

Please share your memories at www.cressfuneralservice.com

Cress Center6021 University Ave. 

Madison(608) 238-8406