Henry Ellen Preece Lockhart
1935—2025
Henry Ellen Preece Lockhart, 89, of Jackson, Michigan, left us Saturday, April 12, 2025, at Jackson County Medical Care Facility, surrounded by loving friends and family.
She was born Oct. 13, 1935, in Chattaroy, West Virginia, the daughter of Harvey M. and Essie (Blackburn) Preece.
She is survived by her daughter, Patricia Small of Lansing, and six brothers and sisters: Betty Muncy of Inez, Kentucky, Frances Callahan of Cincinnati, Ohio, Garmon David Preece and Lowell Thomas (LT) Preece, both of Inez, Kentucky, William (Bill) Preece of Georgetown, Kentucky, and Brenda Preece-Collins of Inez, Kentucky.
She was preceded in death by her parents; one son, Garry Dale Small; her husbands, Perry Small, George Gordon and Carroll Lockhart; four brothers, Troy, Chester, Bradley and William Oke; and by three sisters, Kathleen Grimes, Floretta Kirk, and Olivene Burns and several dear nieces and nephews.
Special praise goes to her nephew Roger Kirk and niece Tammy Walker for their devotion to monitoring her care and giving her so much love and support. Also, a special thanks to Garmon Preece and Lowell Preece for officiating and handling services in Michigan and Kentucky.
Ellen had a talent for numbers and managing people. At age 26 she was already running a small restaurant in La Canada, California. In the ‘70s she moved to Arkansas and started a farm. In the 1980s she moved to Houston, Texas, to work in a family business and in the 1990s she moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she, her sister Kathleen and Kathleen’s husband Chuck opened their own jewelry business. Did we mention Ellen loved jewelry? In the beginning of this century, Ellen retired to Jackson, Michigan, where she and her three oldest sisters spent over a decade together sharing travel, holidays and all the pleasures of watching the Preece family evolve through time.
Services were conducted at the Hampton Funeral Home in Jackson April 16. Services were conducted in Inez, Kentucky, on April 19 at the Crum Funeral Home. Burial followed at the Preece Family Cemetery under the direction of Crum Funeral Home of Inez.