East Washingtonian - Your Hometown News Source

Norman Ellsworth Bartlow

January 8, 1924–October 29, 2020

Norman Ellsworth (Ells) Bartlow went to be with Jesus on October 29, 2020. He was 96 years old and died in his home of the infirmities of age.

Ells was born in Pomeroy, Wash., on January 8, 1924, to Oscar Creighton Bartlow and Martha Doris Fitzsimmons Bartlow. He graduated from Pomeroy High School in 1942. Ells attended Northwest Nazarene College for one year and enlisted in the U.S. Navy Air Corps where he served for two years and three months. When the war was over, he received an honorable discharge as an aviation cadet and returned to Pomeroy to marry his high school sweetheart, Eloise Myrn Dye on December 29, 1945. Ells attended Whitman College from 1946 to 1948 where he played basketball, was a Phi Beta Kappa scholar, and earned a BA in business.

Ells and Eloise returned to Pomeroy where he became the owner-manager for his father's farm implement business until retirement in 1988.

Ells was an active member of the Pomeroy Church of the Nazarene where he taught the high school Sunday School Class (Ells' Angels) for 35 years. He served on the Board of Regents for Northwest Nazarene College for 24 years. He was active in his community and served on the Pomeroy City Council and Garfield County Health Foundation.

Without a doubt, his favorite community activity was attending PHS sporting events and particularly the many years that he served as statistician for the Pirate Basketball Team.

Ells' spiritual gift was encouragement. He loved writing letters. Young men all over Garfield County will remember receiving letters of encouragement from him. He believed in the young people he wrote to. He encouraged them to make good choices and reminded that what really mattered was where they would be in 100 years.

Ells and Eloise raised five children in Pomeroy: Janie (Mike) Field, Jerry (Donna) Bartlow, Scott (Debbie) Bartlow, Jon (Shelley) Bartlow, and Jeff (Lori) Bartlow.

Ells is survived by his wife Eloise, 19 grandchildren, and 15 great grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by is daughter-in-law, Donna Bartlow; his son, Scott Bartlow; and a still-born daughter Jody Lynn Bartlow. A celebration of his life will be held at a later date.