Ellen Myers

Ellen Y. Myers was born to Roy and Velma Yoder in Lancaster, Ohio.  She attended public schools in Lancaster and was a graduate of The Ohio State University with a BS in Nursing.  She entered the United States Air Force (USAF) as a nurse in October of 1958.  Her first assignment as a second Lieutenant, and after attending a 28-day Basic Orientation Course for Medical Service Officers, was to the Base Hospital as a staff nurse at Webb Air Force Base (AFB), Big Spring, Texas.

Her next assignment was to the USAF Hospital at Bitburg, Germany.  She arrived in Germany on the same day as the Berlin Wall went up.  After Germany, as a Captain she went to the Air Force’s largest Medical Center, Wilford Hall, at lackland AFB, San Antonio, Texas as the Charge Nurse of the Gastrointestinal Ward.

In the summer of 1967, she arrived for a new assignment to the 7206th USAF Hospital in Athens, Greece.  About a week later, Milo Myers, a newly assigned Lieutenant arrived from Thailand where he had spent the past year working on the railroad.  Both were housed along with all the base’s junior officers to live in a contract hotel, The Congo Palace, which also served as the Officers’ Club.

Milo and Ellen were married on December 16, 1967 at the base chapel and spent their honeymoon on the isle of Rhoads.  Back then in December they rolled up the sidewalks in Rhoads and the very nice hotel closed their restaurant and had no heat.  But you do the best you can under those circumstances. Two years later she was asked to resign her commission due to her pregnancy.  She refused and was forced out of the USAF after 9 ½ yeas of service.  Their daughter, Sam, was born in the early morning of April 2, 1969 at Matera Maternity Hospital in downtown Athens.

In January 1970 Ellen arrived with Milo and Sam at Wright-Patterson AFB in Ohio about 60 miles from her hometown of Lancaster. By now her parents had retired and moved to Florida, but several Aunts and Uncles remained in the area and brother George and his family were still in northern Ohio.  For the next 4 ½ years she volunteered as a nurse at the AF Medical Center there with the Red Cross.

The summer of 1974 was a drive across the county to the west coast for a flight to Clark AFB, Republic of the Philippines. She again volunteered at the base hospital and was assigned to set up and oversee running a nursery at the base gym for Operation Baby Lift during the evacuation of South Vietnam.

In June 1977 Albuquerque and Kirtland AFB was the next duty station.  By now Sam was full time in school and Ellen had time to join a bowling league as well as continue her volunteering at the base hospital.  After 3 years in New Mexico, it was off to McClellan AFB outside of Sacramento, California.  While there she decided to work as a Hospice volunteer at the Northern California Hospice Organization until Milo’s retirement in 1984.

Back in Albuquerque again, Ellen returned to volunteering at the base hospital.  As almost all her work was at AF Hospitals, she was at ease and comfortable in that environment.  Soon she was approached by the Chief Nurse asking if she would like to work full time for pay.  Since Milo was working full time in his second career, her working full time was not high on her list of things to consider. But when the option to job share with another former AF nurse came up she accepted it and served as a part time staff nurse for the next 11 years.  She was able to combine her active-duty time with her civil service time to get a well deserved full retirement.

Milo and Ellen both in good health decided to move into La Vida Llena in February of 2007.  They were both able to enjoy cruises to Alaska, around Japan through the Panama Canal and several river cruises throughout Europe before the effects of dementia began to take its toll.  Ellen has resided in the Mi Casa Memory Care Unit since July 2015. The Family would like to thank all the staff of Mi Casa for their many years of love and care.  Additionally, the family wishes to thank her Hospice nurses from Ambercare Hospice for their extra care when the time called for it.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to The Full Life Foundation, 10501 Lagrima del Oro NE, Suite 361, Albuquerque, NM 87111 or Ambercare Hospice, 2129 Osuna Rd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87113.

A life celebration will be held at a later date. To be kept informed of the celebration plans please email the family at myersab q119@gmail.com.