Jack and Evelyn with the Kernecht Kennel Group at the
Canadian National Sieger Show in Ottawa, September, 1997

Evelyn Jack ~ Spring "1998"

In 1997, Jack and Evelyn sold their home in the country of twenty-five years and moved into town. They each survived a bout with cancer and were healthy and happy together?thank God!!

On March 14, 1999, Dr. Evelyn Ellman went to The Bridge to join her Gussie and all the rest of the Von Stolzenfels and rescue dogs who were there to greet her....
This is a HUGE loss to the Rottweiler world, to her dear husband, Jack, and to those of us who knew and loved her. Three years ago, Evelyn began her battle with cancer. After a year-long fight, she had won a temporary skirmish. She went into remission....all signs were clear. On December 28, 1998, she went into the hospital for a hip replacement to remedy the severe pain she was experiencing. The surgery went well...then, days later, she experienced a hernia rupture and had to have another surgery. That went well and she eventually returned home in early February.


Evelyn had a heart as big as the Rottweilers she loved so dearly and was equally as stubborn! She would not give up.

Finally, after many heroic measures to save her life, her husband made the decision to remove all life support...a decision of love and respect for this great woman that was the hardest he has ever made. Those of us who stood watch saw her keep fighting....lots of love surrounded Evelyn. And Evelyn kept fighting....

Evelyn knew Gussie was waiting for her...Gussie left for The Bridge late in 1998. We talked in February about Gussie now being able to run and play <Gussie had cancer in her front leg> ....now, Evelyn can be with her....in a place that is pain-free, warm, sunny and filled with the animals that she has loved all of her life.....

When one reads the breed standard for the Rottweiler, one encounters words like, "BRAVE," "COURAGEOUS," "LOYAL," "STRONG," "LOVING." This was also the STANDARD for Evelyn and the way she lead her life...she was a person who was very discriminating in giving her friendship, but once enveloped in her life people were there FOREVER! Her loyalty was unwavering. Her kindness and loving thoughtfulness was unbounded. Her strength and bravery in fighting her disease in the final years was unmeasured.

The legacy that Evelyn leaves to us is a wonderful one....one of sharing, teaching, and caring for people and for the magnificent Rottweilers that she loved so dearly. The legacy that she leaves that we now steward... Mid-Michigan Rottweiler Rescue will go on with great pride and deepest respect for Evelyn and Jack.

For every Rottweiler life that we save, we are thankful for the Ellmans for starting this awesome project and we will thank God for Evelyn being at The Rainbow Bridge with Gussie and the rest of our Rottweilers, steadfastly guiding new adopters in our direction!!!

We at Mid-Michigan Rottweiler Rescue we wish Evelyn on the next leg of her journey, which she will make with all the strength, zest and feistyness with which she lived her life.

Update, March 14, 1999
It is with deep sadness that I learned of the passing of my good friend and mentor, Evelyn Ellman. Always ready with a warm smile and welcome, Evelyn shared her considerable knowledge of the Rottweiler breed with everyone who wanted to learn. On the occasions when she stayed in my home or I was in hers we had so much fun together! Even in the beginning of our friendship it was as though we had known each other for a very long time. Evelyn made me realise the importance of sharing information with other breeders and in being realistic about strengths and weaknesses with the Rottweiler breed and, indeed, within our own dogs. Mentoring someone is an awesome responsibility, and Evelyn was always up to the challenge.  I only wish I had told her more often how much I appreciated the fact that she took the time to work with a "wet behind the ears" novice! Thank you, Evelyn!! One of her legacies to the Rottie breed, other than providing many of us with a strong foundation for our kennels, is the founding (along with husband Jack) of Mid-Michigan Rottweiler Rescue, a home for rescued Rottweilers. A very giving person, Evelyn wanted to do something positive for the breed that had given her so much love over the years. The world has lost a very special person. Evelyn will always live on in our memories and our hearts. Goodbye Evelyn, I miss you very much, thank you for everything.

Al and I are very saddened by our friend passing. I watched Evelyn give it her all in her fight with cancer. Evelyn and Jack taught us a lot about Rotties, and each time I visited her I learned more. I will miss her laugh the most. She loved Jack and life. She would call me if she didn't hear from me and thought I was sick. I just wish I could have been her friend longer, as we all do. Not only will Gussie and her other Rotties meet her. Our Max will, also, for he really liked her, too. So I hope she will give all our Rotties there a big hug for all of us that have one there. So rest easy Evelyn and look down on us and see that we are carrying on with what you wanted and what you started. We will always remember you.

We will miss Evelyn terribly. She and I talked at least every other day.I will miss her telling me about Rotties and her home land. Jack has been so loving and supportive of her through everything. He stayed by her day and night, never giving up. At the end he showed her his love in a very special way. I know her Rotties who have passed have waited for her to come and play and are very happy to see her again. All our hearts will hurt for a long time when we think of her, because when we see a Rottie we will remember how she dearly loved them and did all she could do to protect and help them, and they will miss her.

Every now and then you come in contact with someone really special who has a deep impact on your life and where you are going. Often, they have no clue how much they have affected you. That is my feeling on Dr. Ellman! Gee, must be close to 12 years ago, I returned from Germany with my husband, a then Captain in the Army. We had been fortunate enough to purchase two Rottie pups while we were living in Germany, after an extensive wait and screening process. Being taken under the wing of a few well known Rottie people in Europe and learning from them, I was dumb enough to think I knew more than I did. When we came back to the states, I don't even remember how I got the Ellmans’ Rottie Information packet, but I did, and I wrote to Dr. Ellman questioning how she could make such statements about a few particular things-what was it Dr. Ellman guarantees, I think. This gentle lady, having no idea who I was, instead of getting angry with me, wrote back and said she didn't know if she was laughing or crying, but I had a lot to learn. I said teach me!  And she did! …. Countless letters, which after all these years I still treasure and keep, photos, pedigree advice and analysis, etc., etc. Dr. Ellman taught me more, through the mail, than any person I have met in the US. She patiently answered any questions and helped me with any problems. I could go on and on about how special Dr. Ellman is. I was fascinated how even 'back then', she was so involved with rescuing abandoned Rottweilers. I told myself I want to be like this lady someday, and that Dr. Ellman has my utmost respect and admiration. She affected my heart and love of this great breed more than she will ever know.

Debrah S. Riegel writes:

It was almost 5 years ago when I met the Ellman's for the first and only
time. I was introduced by a friend who had purchased a puppy from me and was going to foster a young rescue male, Brutus, for Evelyn. I was very
interested in rescue, so I went with them. We were warmly invited into
their home where Evelyn proceeded to politely question all of us on our
knowledge and feelings about Rottweilers. I was gently grilled by Evelyn
on why I bred Rottweilers. I was and am still very much a novice with
this breed and so were my friends, but she seemed to look past all of
our inexperience and seemed satisfied with our heartfelt love of this
breed and the need they had. She talked to us about the need for rescue,
on how many Rottie's she had to pass over because there was not enough
room, time or money, and you could tell she was passionate about it. I
did not know of her background, that I had met someone who was very well
known in the Rottweiler world, until later when I started showing my
dogs and mentioned my meeting. Or was I aware at that time that the
pedigree of my Rottweilers went back to her foundation bitch, Cosi. I
found this all out later. I learned so much from her in one afternoon, not only about rescue work, but on how to treat the novice person who wants a Rottweiler, without judgment while communicating the desperate need for homes and responsibility by breeders and owners for this wonderful breed. I know now how frustrating it is to talk with many people when they say that
they want to breed or get a Rottweiler for all the wrong reasons. I ask
them many of the questions and state many of the reasons and sad facts
about too many Rottweilers in our pounds that Evelyn did that day and I
hope I have gotten through to many of them. I will always be involved
in some way with rescue because of that afternoon and am exceptionally
proud to own dogs with Von Stolzenfels in their background.
I know that the Ellman's may not even remember the young lady who sat in
their home that day 5 years ago, but I won't ever forget what I learned
that day.

Thank you,
Debrah S. Riegel
Wildhaven Rottweilers
Dedicated to breeding dogs sound of mind and body

p.s. My 18 month old Rottweiler, Wildhaven's Precious Amber (decedent of Von Stolzenfels) won Youth Siegerin at the 1998 North American Sieger Show Oct. 3-6, 1998

March 14, 1998
Evelyn had been a friendto us since we met in 1980. After the death of our first Rottweiler, Evelyn sympathized with us and helped us locate a nice dog out of the von Stolzenfels line. We enjoyed spending time with her and Jack. She introduced us to many of her prized dogs including Czarina, Dolf, Darra and Holly. She taught us much about the world of dog shows, and introduced us to many people. It was Evelyn who we called to share our first show win and our first obedience title. We looked to her for advice when we had our first litter. She was always willing to lend an ear and share ideas. She will be sorely missed in the Rottweiler world as a great breeder and teacher; we will also miss her as a friend.

Sincerely,
Don Lin Beenen
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My friendship with Evelyn started thanks to a 140 pound Rottie... named Max. Evelyn's love and compassion for animals was very much the same as mine so, as time passed, we became Best Friends. Evelyn and I chatted daily together, enjoyed the very same things. I have had lots of rainy weather, but know what sunshine brings. Whatever life may choose to send, I thank God for having sent Evelyn to be My Friend.

Dixie Henker
Battle Creek, Michigan