Obituary of Katherine Ellenburg

It is with a sad heart that our family announces the death of my mom, Katherine Ellenburg. She died at home yesterday afternoon in the presence of her loving husband Robert C. Ellenburg, her daughter Lynda Ellenburg Poe, her granddaughter Elizabeth L. Hayes and Lynda’s husband James W. Poe.

After several years of fighting COPD her life came to a merciful end on June 1, 2020, and we are relieved she is no longer suffering. While she will be missed by those, she left behind we are so glad she is now at peace.

Katherine was born on September 12, 1936, and grew up a farmer’s daughter in the Chesnee and Inman areas of upstate SC learning hard work and determination can accomplish much. She attended John Dodd Schools and Boiling Springs High School in Spartanburg County.

Mary Katherine Haynes Ellenburg was married to Robert Cornelius Ellenburg for 61 years. They had one daughter, Lynda Kaye Ellenburg Poe (James) of Lake Lure, NC, four grandchildren, Karie (Andy) Phillips of Lexington, SC, Elizabeth (James) Hayes of Atoka, TN, Joey (Ashley) Lang of Fort Mill, SC, Adam (Yajaira) Skinner of West Point, UT, one step-grandson, James (Shelby) Poe of Wichita Falls, TX and 13 great-grandchildren.

After marrying Robert on Christmas Eve in 1958 she moved to Columbia, SC in January 1959 and resided there ever since. She and Robert have lived in the Woodlands Hills neighborhood in the St. Andrews area of Columbia for 48 years.

Katherine was preceded in death by her parents, Broadus Butler Haynes and Lillie Faye Henderson Haynes of Inman, SC., her brother Ted Haynes of Chesnee, SC, her sister, Sybil Ann Smith of Fayetteville, TN, and a great-grandson, Walker Hayes Phillips of Lexington, SC.

Katherine enjoyed a lifetime of work from banking to office work at EDS Computer Systems, to office work for Palmetto Pictures, to the owner of the Sun Room tanning salon in Boozer Shopping Center and finally helping keep the girls straight at Trend Setters for several years.  She loved her travels especially to the NC mountains, Switzerland, Europe, and Vermont in the fall. She took pride in being an “outlaw” (in-law in reality) in the Ellenburg clan and enjoyed a close relationship with the in-laws and the out-laws of the family.

She also enjoyed her title of “Mrs. E.” from Robert’s days of coaching sports at AC Flora High School and Hammond Academy. She looked forward to the annual beach trip as she and Coach E would chaperone the high school trips for AC Flora. She rarely missed attending the ballgames at either school and was an ardent fan of all the boys and girls on the teams over the years.

Katherine was nothing if not a pillar of determination and strength. She leaves behind a legacy of how to fight the good fight and we are all better for having known her.

At Katherine’s request, she is to be cremated with a small intimate gathering of the family in the North Carolina mountains, and then her ashes scattered about the Lake Lure, NC area.

In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to your local hospice group. Hospice was an invaluable service to our family during the last months of mom’s life