Editor’s note: Jeanne Ellenstein passed away July 15 — her 101st birthday — after the July/August 2025 issue had gone to press. The Evansville Living team shares this interview with Jeanne in tribute to the long, joy-filled life she lived.
You may recognize Jeanne Ellenstein’s name from when she and late husband Donald owned 16 area jewelry shops under the Ellenstein Stores Inc. umbrella or from one of the theme parties she loved hosting. Perhaps she introduced you to late Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan or late actor Ron Glass, both University of Evansville graduates whom she befriended as a longtime UE supporter. She also made a name for herself as an advocate for civil rights, taking on the Ross Theater when Black residents couldn’t go to movies there.
But no matter how you know Jeanne, one thing is clear: She adores her hometown. Since moving to Austin, Texas, in 2010, Evansville Living has helped her keep tabs on the River City. A recent favorite was the December 2022/January 2023 cover story of sister publication Evansville Business featuring her late friend John David Lutz, the longtime UE Theatre Department educator.
The Benjamin Bosse High School alumna turns 101 on July 15 and counts her blessings. “It’s been a great life,” Jeanne says, via son Dave Ellenstein and daughter Susan Scarlett. “You can wake up happy or wake up sad, so you might as well wake up happy.”
