Lois Marian (Fergus) Ellison, 95 years young, a lifelong resident of Racine, passed away at her home surrounded by loving family on March 6th, 2025. Lois was born on July 6th, 1929, to Robert and Elizabeth (Scott) Fergus, immigrants from the island of Westray in Orkney, Scotland. Lois and her three sisters grew up immersed in the Scottish community and culture, and their family was filled with much kindness, love, and laughter.
Lois attended West Racine public schools and graduated from Washington Park High School in 1947. Lois was married to her high school sweetheart, Darol Ellison, with whom she shared a love of music, for forty-eight years, until his passing in 1996. Together they raised four children. Lois was an exceptional wife, mother, grandmother, and homemaker. She was an excellent cook and baker, a talented seamstress and decorator, an avid gardener, and a sharp bridge player.
Lois shared an unbreakable bond with her sisters, who were her very best friends, and she was sustained by a lifetime of their love. She laughed with them throughout all her 95 years, over thousands of cups of tea. Lois was always young at heart, smart, witty, and resilient. She was the rock of her family and loved spending time with her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, sisters, nieces, and nephews. In addition, Lois worked for many years in the service of the public good as a clerk at the Racine Health Department, retiring in 1991, and she made many friends there. Throughout her life Lois was a faithful member of her church, and she enjoyed traveling with Darol and her children, and, in later years, her friends, her daughters, and her sisters.
Lois is survived by her sisters, Mary Jean Johnson and Dorothy Davies; her children, Jeffory Ellison, Cynthia (Steve) Wagner, Laurie (Kevin) Johnson, and Timothy Ellison; her grandchildren, Jonathon, Raeanna, Elizabeth, Charles, Joel, Zachary, Nathan, Hannah, Amanda, Robin, and Benjamin; her great and great-great grandchildren; her sister-in-law, Violet Ellison; and her many nieces, nephews, and dear friends. She was preceded in death by her brother, Robert James; her parents, Elizabeth and Robert; her husband, Darol; her sister, Elizabeth; her daughter-in-law, Kathleen Ellison; and her grandson, Matthew Wagner. Her loving kindness, wisdom, wit, talent, and resilience will forever be a source of gratitude and inspiration to her family and friends.
The family would like to thank the wonderful staff at Horizon Home Care and Hospice for their excellent care and compassion. A private memorial service to honor Lois will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the American Cancer Society or Children’s Wisconsin, two organizations that Lois was proud to support.
