AT HER BEST
Julia Idell (Elliott) Dennis, 78, was born April 4, 1938, in Humansville, to Croel M. Elliot and Velma F. (Deighton) Elliot. Her family eventually moved to California and she spent most of her early life there. Her parent divorced when she was in her early teens.
She moved to the El Dorado Springs area with her mother and then step-father, where she met her husband-to-be, Paul Dean Dennis, at a New Year’s Eve celebration. They both loved to dance and that’s how they got acquainted. After several months of courting, they were married Aug. 19, 1956. Their marriage produced three wonderful children; first, Cynthia (born on Father’s Day), second, Keely (born on Julia’s mother’s birthday, Aug. 1) and the last, Joey (missed Julia’s father’s birthday by one day).
Julie’s husband, Dean, was a land surveyor for the U. S. Bureau of Land Management and his job took them to several western states. Some projects may have only lasted a few days, so Julie was kept busy packing and unpacking for all their moves; raising three children (mostly by herself, according to Dean, who admits she did a great job of that); and keeping the family operational, so she didn’t have much chance to establish a career of her own.
She did, however, have a passion for sewing and she worked at a garment factory in Springfield while Dean attended college at SMS (now MO State). Later on, she and her good friend, Cleo Witt, started a business primarily making drapes. She worked a short time for another good friend, D-Ette Eaves, in a Tuesday Morning store on Denver.
Her most proud experience though, was working as a graphic artist for the government of Saudi Arabia during their two-year tour there. She loved doing artwork and was really quite good at it. Her supervisors and co-workers, both Saudis and Americans, really hated to see her leave and wrote some very heartwarming letters of farewell to her.
Dean’s work took the family to various islands in the south Pacific and to Saudi Arabia. They were able to vacation in China, Italy, Egypt and several other places throughout the world. Julie and Dean spent the last six months of Dean’s career in Washington, D.C. They then bought a house at the Lake of the Ozarks and lived there for 15 years, enjoying the lake life and visiting family and friends. They then moved to Colorado to be closer to their children and grandchildren.
Julie’s life was quite varied; some good, some not so good, but mostly unique and she was fun loving. Her later years were adversely affected by the loss of her son, Joey; both of her sisters, Jean Carroll and LaVeta Korff; a brother-in-law, Don Carroll, a nephew, Jim Korbut; and several other relatives on Dean’s side of the family.
She survived an operation to remove a cancerous tumor around her left kidney and spleen in 2010. A few years later she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. She fell and broke her collar bone on Mother’s Day of 2016 and while in the hospital, test results showed her cancer had returned. Seven weeks later, she passed away in her daughter, Cindy’s arms on June 24, 2016.
Julie Dennis is survived by her husband of nearly 60 years, Dean; daughters, Cindy (Phil) Abshire, and Keely Rowe; grandchildren, Jessica (Brian) Jalbert, Hugh Rowe, Kyla Rowe, Autumn Dennis, Summer Dennis, Faith Dennis; and four great-grandchildren, as well an numerous and beloved nieces and nephews.
Also surviving are Dean’s siblings – Evelyn Harvey, Melba McPeack, Roy Dennis, Donna Hopper and their extended families.
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