Ellen Collins Hubbard
October 1, 1923 - December 10, 2004

Ellen went to a better world December 10, 2004. She was suffering from organ failure due to her weight problem. She weighed only sixty pounds. She was on oxygen but she simply stopped breathing. Her breathing problem lasted only four days.

Ellen was born in Caroline County Virginia and grew up in Richmond, Virginia. She graduated from James Madison University in Elementary Education. She was teaching in Richmond where she met her husband, James Hubbard a Seminary student. They were married in his middle year at the Seminary. Their first child Mary Ann was born in Kannapolis, N C in Jim’s first pastorate. The second child Fred was born in Parsons, West Virginia in Jim’s second pastorate.

They moved to Laurinburg, N C in 1959 where Jim became professor at St. Andrews Presbyterian College. Ellen was employed as a third grade teacher in the Laurinburg City Schools. In 1967 while Jim was in graduate school in Arizona Ellen came out for a beautiful visit out west. In 1974 they celebrated their silver anniversary in the Bahamas.

In 1976 Mary Ann was killed in a tragic bicycle accident Following this stressful experience Ellen developed a Mental Disorder called depression. Medication normally would be only effective for about six months. She would have to endure electroshock treatments to remove the depression and allow her antidepressant to take over again, In 1978 she developed another nervous disorder called Irritable Bowel Syndrome. After every meal she would have movements which kept her confined to the home. The bowel problem put a real dent into her social life. The only way she could attend events was not to eat. She loved to socialize so she did not stop going. Medications would give some relief but after taking the medication over a long period of time it lost its effectiveness.

In 1980 she felt it necessary to resign her teaching position. Her son Fred became a performer playing in a rock band in Atlanta, Georgia. Several visits were made despite her bowel problem Fred, adopting the stage name “Rick”, later moved to Hilton Head Island, SC where he became a children’s entertainer. Here again despite her handicap she went to watch him perform. She loved children and received s ome real positive feelings from his performances. In 1986 her husband had a heart attack after his retirement. He was advised to stay out of temperatures above 90 and below 40. The result of this provided many beautiful experiences in the mountains of North Carolina at Blowing Rock. She loved the beautiful flowers in the summer and enjoyed regular walks. Her husband began his hiking experiences. In order to avoid the winters in Laurinburg, she spent the coldest months with her husband in Florida.

In 1999 there was a moving celebration of her golden wedding anniversary. while in Florida. In 2000 the home was sold in Laurinburg with a permanent move to Florida for seven months out of the year and then five months in Blowing Rock. It was an enjoyable life despite her bowel disability and her depression.

In 2002 Ellen had surgery to remove a growth on her uterus which was non-cancerous. She lost twenty pounds down to sixty-five. She had to use a walker to get around. She did continue to take walks with her husband holding on to his arm. She was not able to gain the weight back because she was limited in the amount she could eat due to smallness of her stomach. She was able to alternate between Blowing Rock and Winter Haven traveling in Fred’s RV. Her last walk was in Bok Gardens in Lake Wales. She loved the flowers and the beautiful tower which pointed heavenward. Ellen kept trying but the last two years were difficult for her with both her bowel problem and her inability to eat but so much. Ellen often spoke of the Green Pastures and the Dark Valleys in life. She remembered her green pastures to help her through the dark valleys.

Bok Tower
Lake Wales, Florida