Born one of five children in a tiny town in southern Georgia in 1925, Ellen left home early and found work in the Union Bag and Paper Corporation in Savannah. It was there that a friend set her up on a movie-and-ice-cream double-date with her brother, Charlie Sargent, a good-looking sailor just returned from World War II service in the Merchant Marine. Four dates later, he proposed. The couple had two sons, Bill and Rick, and moved from Savannah to Dade City in 1948. Charlie ran Sargents Pest Control, and the couple raised their children in Dade City. In 1963, when Bill was a senior in high school, Charlie became ill and died, leaving Ellen struggling to run the pest control business alone. She decided to earn her high school diploma, and was helped in her lessons by her sons; she then took the courses necessary for certification as a pest control operator. Later, she sold the business to Youngs Pest Control and got a job working in the Pasco County Courthouse.Later, she met Warren Puckett, who served as a Navy SeaBee in World War II, and they were married in 1968. Warrens daughter, Toi Puckett (Basso), added a feminine element to the family. Warren and Ellen ran E.S. Puckett Pest Control, first in Dade City and later in Lake Panasoffkee, selling the business and retiring only after Warren turned 80 years old. In 2010, Warren and Ellen sold their home in Lake Panasoffkee and moved into the Edwinola, only a few months before Warren died. Ellen continued to live there until 2014, when she moved into The Commons, more recently known as American House. Ellen enjoyed spending time with friends and family, and loved to get together for feasts, or to go out to eat. The family used to tease her for "eating like a lumberjack so unexpected in such a tiny person. An independent, feisty, strong-minded, funny, loving woman, she will be sorely missed by everyone who knew and loved her.Ellen is survived by two sons: Bill and Rick, and a daughter, Toi (Basso); four grandchildren: Susie, Brian, Jeremy, & and Josh; and six great-grandchildren: Brad, Shawn, Abigail, Cody, Nicole and Mateo, as well as a sister, Mary Bradshaw, of Dade City.Funeral services will be held 2:00pm Friday April 28, 2017 at the 301 Chapel of Hodges Family Funeral Home in Dade City. Entombment will follow at the Chapel Hill Gardens Mausoleum. The family will receive friends for viewing one hour prior to service time at the funeral home. Visitation

Hodges Family Funeral Home & Cremation Center

Friday, April 28, 2017 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM 11441 US HIGHWAY 301 Dade City, Florida 33525 Directions Funeral Service

Hodges Family Funeral Home & Cremation Center

Friday, April 28, 2017 2:00 PM 11441 US HIGHWAY 301 Dade City, Florida 33525 Directions