Ellen Jane Stancil Price

Early Life & Family Heritage

Ellen Jane Stancil was born on April 15, 1957, in Norfolk County, Virginia, to George Ira Stancil Jr. (recorded in NC birth records as Colonel G. I. Stancil) and Lois Jeanette Hunnicutt. She was the baby of her immediate family, joining two older brothers, George Ira III and Don Gordon, and an older sister, Shirley Ann, who was just 21 months her senior. As the youngest grandchild of George Ira Stancil Sr., Ellen held an extra special place in the heart of "Granny" Stancil.

Ellen was named Jane in honor of her great-grandmother, Celia Jane Mercer, a resilient woman who had famously faced the challenge of being widowed at age 30 with seven children to raise.

She grew up in the large two-story white farmhouse built in 1924 by her grandfather on part of the historic John Thomas Stancil Homestead. Nearby on the property stood the original log house where her father had been born, which by Ellen's childhood was utilized as a tobacco pack house. Raised in an atmosphere that fiercely valued tradition and heritage, Ellen and her siblings were taught early to claim and warmly embrace anyone who possessed even a single drop of family blood.

Life in the "Fish Bowl" & Childhood Memories

The Stancil household was the central hub for all family activities, creating what the family affectionately remembered as a "fish bowl" environment. The door was open to an endless stream of aunts, uncles, and cousins who might arrive unannounced for dinner or an overnight stay. Their mother, Jeanette, welcomed everyone unconditionally. Unselfishly, Ellen and her siblings frequently moved out of their own bedrooms to accommodate visiting kinfolks without a single complaint, forging an unbreakable lifelong bond with their extended lineage.

A focused and organized child, Ellen showed her planning instincts early. During an August 1961 family excursion to the Aycock Homestead, four-year-old Ellen was stung by a wasp. Her grandmother successfully soothed the pain with candy from her large purse. Demonstrating her characteristic attention to detail, Ellen reminded her grandmother the very next day to pack candy ahead of time, just in case. At the age of five, following the passing of her doting grandmother, Ellen famously claimed a bedroom dresser at the estate auction by wrapping her tiny arms around it and declaring, "Granny gave this to me!"—resulting in the family gifting her the entire bedroom suite. Her meticulous nature was clear by age eight, when she began signing the George Ira Stancil Reunion Registration in beautiful, neat cursive.

Weathering Great Tragedies

Ellen was called upon to overcome profound hardships from a young age, relying consistently on her faith, family, and deep network of friends. She was raised in the Center Ridge Presbyterian Church. Ellen was just twelve years old when her mother tragically passed away. Despite their youth, Ellen and her sister Shirley immediately stepped up to assume their mother's household duties, keeping the farmhouse running smoothly and maintaining the family tradition of welcoming visiting relatives. In 1972, her family dynamic expanded when her father married Julia Atkinson of Kenly, bringing the combined sibling count to nine.

Ellen later moved to Virginia, married Gordon F. Price Jr., and welcomed three children: Amy, Seth, and Melissa. In 1996, Ellen moved back to North Carolina. Just one week after the move, her daughter Amy passed away in an unutterable tragedy. Demonstrating her unbelievable strength and administrative capacity, Ellen had fully unpacked, organized, and hung every picture in her house within seven days of moving. Her dynamic and warm personality instantly impacted her new community; within days, neighbors who barely knew her rallied around the home to support the grieving family. Later, when Hurricane Floyd severely flooded her home and destroyed many treasured family possessions, Ellen immediately sought out copies of the Stancil Cookbook and family memoirs to replace her lost connection to her roots.

Professional Career & Final Years

Professionally, Ellen brought her incredible focus and organizational talents to U.S. Cellular, where she spent seven years serving as an administrative assistant to the director of sales. Outside of work, she was well-known as an avid NASCAR racing enthusiast and an exceptionally passionate fan of the Carolina Tarheels. She shared her later years with her significant other, Sandra Register.

Throughout her life, Ellen faced the heavy losses of her father, her daughter Amy, and her brothers with a steadfast grace and an extra measure of love for those around her. Her last family gathering was the 2004 Stancil Reunion, where she radiated a vibrant, genuine charisma and a warm smile that could "melt icicles." She passed away at the age of 49 on August 26, 2006, in Grifton, North Carolina, leaving behind a legacy of absolute devotion, resilience, and unconditional love.