Ella Mae Savage

Ella May Savage passed away at 1:37 AM, February 3, 2018, at PVH, surrounded by her family. Ella was born August 14, 1923, to Fred and Liz Nail at Shawnee Mission, Kansas. She was preceded in death by her sisters, Grace and Edith; brothers, Clarence, Ralph, Robert, Charles, Edwin, and Elmer. (Elmer perished at Pearl Harbor on the USS Oklahoma, December 7, 1941. His remains were recently identified and will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery.) In 1947, Ella met Eldon Savage. They were married on June 5, 1948, in Topeka. They were married for 69 years and eight months. They have two sons and daughters-in-law, Steven and Ballou, who live in Richmond, Kentucky, Michael and Georgia, who live in Greeley, Colorado; six grandchildren and nine great grandchildren.


Ella grew to adulthood on a farm near Perry, Kansas. She was president of her sophomore and senior classes and graduated valedictorian from Perry High School in 1941. She was one of four women who graduated from the Pharmacy School at the University of Kansas in 1945. She stayed at home during her college days and commuted to and from Perry to Lawrence by Greyhound Bus.


Ella did not work as a pharmacist after Steven was born in 1950. Ella and Eldon were baptized in Oglethorpe Methodist Church in 1952. Ella was active in church work and served as president of the women's society in their church at Oglethorpe, Atlanta, Georgia; Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Lebanon, Pennsylvania; and Glenn Memorial, Emory University, Atlanta. In 1970, Eldon retired from the Center for Disease Control and they moved to Fort Collins, where Eldon was a professor at CSU. They became interested in Arabian horses and Ella May and Eldon started SavageEEArabians, Inc. Ella enjoyed all of their horses. She especially liked foaling time.

Ella May's service will be on February 8, 2018, at Christ United Methodist Church at 11 AM, conducted by Reverend Nancy Boswell. Lunch will be served at noon by the Methodist women. The body can be viewed starting at 9:30 AM Thursday at Bohlender Funeral Home. Cremation will follow the service. Interment will be at a later date. Visit bohlenderfuneralchapel.com to view the full obituary and send condolences.