December 26 Today in OPC History

Born in Philadelphia, Norma Remsen Ellis and her mother left a liberal Baptist church and attended the Collingswood Presbyterian Church, USA, where their pastor, Carl MacIntire, led them into what is now the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. Norma majored in literature at the University of Pennsylvania and earned her masters at Drexel Institute of Technology, honing her writing skills. While attending Calvary OPC in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, Norma wrote a script for a pageant on tracing the Bible through the centuries under the direction of E. J. Young. As a resource on the project, a friend suggested Charles “Chuck” Ellis, a seminarian working on his Masters of Theology degree from Westminster Theological Seminary. Chuck told her, “I’m sure you know that it is not just this pageant that makes me come here.” They were married within the year on December 26, 1942. As for the pageant, Ed Clowney, Richard Gaffin, Roy Oliver, Edwards Elliot, George Marsden, and Robert Eckardt all performed as actors from WTS.

Norma made a gracious transition in becoming a minister’s wife in OP congregations in West Collingswood, New Jersey (1943–1946), Cincinnati, Ohio (1946–1948), East Orange, New Jersey (1948–1955), Silver Spring, Maryland (1955–1979) and Rockport, Maine (1979–1983). Over the years she taught women’s Bible classes, mentored young women, directed a choir for young people, developed church libraries, helped to start a Christian day school, and wrote columns, articles, and book reviews for the Presbyterian Guardian. One of her poems, “Lord of My Retirement,” graced the Guardian cover in December 1973.

Since they met while working on a writing project, it seems appropriate they co-wrote Heirs Together of Life in 1980, which was presented in 2006 as a daily devotional on the OPC.org website. In 1985, they collaborated on Wells of Salvation. Both books are still in print.

After Charles died on February 21, 2003, Norma continued to write, even while suffering from Alzheimer’s. She died in August 2008 at the age of 93. The Ellis legacy includes three sons, four daughters, 21 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren. Their son Richard is pastor of Faith OPC in Elmer, New Jersey.

Homepage Picture: Norma Ellis

Picture: Dick and Norma Ellis on their wedding day with best man LeRoy Oliver and others.