Ellen J. Backues, 84 of Owasso, Oklahoma, passed away peacefully on January 27, 2025. She was born March 29, 1940 in Detroit, Michigan to John Arthur Ford and Mary W. Stemple. John was killed in WWII and her mother, Mary, remarried George McDonald who was her stepfather in her formative years. Her life is a testament to compassion, dedication, and spirit of adventure.
After graduating from St. Francis Xavier Hospital’s nursing program in Charleston, South Carolina in 1961, Ellen embarked on a diverse and fulfilling career. She served as a registered nurse, a role she embraced with unwavering commitment, alongside stints as a substitute teacher, realtor, and seamstress.
For sixty-three years, Ellen shared a remarkable life journey with her devoted husband, Billy G. Backues. Together, they traveled the world that included most of the great cities of Central Europe and Scandinavia: Turkey from Ephesus to Istanbul; Egypt from Giza to the Valley of the Kings to Abu Simbel; China from Hong Kong to Beijing to The Great Wall; East Africa included a Wildlife Safari.
Their time in Saudi Arabi, included November 1995, was particularly noteworthy, as Ellen was recognized by the U.S. Army for her compassionate service caring for the wounded during the terrorist attack on the Saudi Arabian National Guard.
At home, she was a remarkable cook with a cherished reputation for great food and pastries. Cooking was her love language in which she found joy in caring for her family and friends, ensuring that no one ever left hungry. As a military wife, Ellen juggled numerous moves from Illinois to Virginia to California to Oklahoma to San Antonio, back to Virginia and then to Kansas. The move from Virginia to Kansas resulted in a station wagon loaded with three kids, two adult dogs and a litter of ten puppies, and a trailer with motorbikes in tow. Ellen was resilient and had a wonderful sense of humor throughout it all.
Ellen is preceded in death by her parents, stepfather, and sister, Joan MecKay (Ford-McDonald). She leaves behind a legacy of love and is survived by her husband, Billy, their daughters, Kelly Newby (Kent), Karen Keil (Bryan), Kay Backues; Her brother, Jim McDonald (Laura). Her beloved grandchildren:
Katherine Cohen (Shane), Kendall Newby (Donnchadha), Kelsey Wagner (Michael), and Kolin B. Newby; Kyle Hubbard (Stephanie), Whitney Hubbard, Lacey Bird (Eric), Gunner Eberspacher (Dakota), Brynn Keil. Eleven great grandchildren: Autumn and Carter Cohen; Liam, Merrick and Harper Wagner;
Adina and Declan Hubbard; Ezra, Eliza, Elliot, and Everett Bird.
