Funeral Service

Committal Service

Visitation

Carl Beck

Merton Howard

Akin Davis Funeral Home - LaBelle

Teresa Mays

Elberta Cousins Acton Grubbs

Woodridge Memorial Park & Funeral Home

Alexis Russo

Patricia Williams

Desert Sunset Funeral Home

Altogether<br/>4307 Vineland Road, Suite H-17-19, Orlando, FL 32811<br/>For more information, visit our website at <a href='www.altogetherfuneral.com'>www.altogetherfuneral.com</a><br/>Copyright © 2025 FPG Intermediate Holdco, LLC

For the Lord Himself will descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who remain, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord!
1st Thessalonians 4:16,17 NASB

Elberta Jean Cousins Acton Grubbs passed away peacefully October 24, 2025, in Saluda, South Carolina. She was born in Clinton, Iowa, the only daughter of the late Forrest and Blanche Mahon Cousins, and the only grandchild of the late Roger and Edith Shambaugh Mahon, who had four daughters. Ellie was a caring, soulful, devoted friend, prayer warrior, and a thoughtfully engaging woman. She was the “hostess of the mostest,” loving bringing folks together for all occasions. In her quieter moments, Ellie loved her books, Gospel music, radio shows, sports and old movie channels, and Bible studies. Being raised in a loving, Christian family, Ellie dedicated her life professing her faith in Jesus Christ, her Lord and Savior, for the majority of her96 years on this earth!

The Cousins family moved to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, by way of Nebraska. As a young woman, Ellie’s “favorite pastime” was playing her violin. Her greatest joy, as a teenager, was marching in her high school band as their drum major. She also loved sciences and excelled in her Biology and Chemistry studies at Coe College, and then went on to Chicago’s Northwestern University’s School of Medical Technology. In the early 1950s, she met an amazing Medical Student from Miami, Florida, the late Dr. Rush K. Acton. They were married for almost 40 years, until he sadly passed too early.

Rush and Ellie are survived by their two sons, Roger Acton, and his wife, Cathy, their daughters Micah and Faith, and Faith’s fiancé, Matthew Kannarney, all living in South Carolina; Doug Acton, and his wife, Jeana, and their two sons, Drew, and Seth, his wife Lauren, and their expected son, Jayce, all living in Texas. This will be Ellie’s first great-grandchild in the Acton family!

Ellie was blessed with her adventures at home and on the sea, prepping and cooking up fresh bass, shrimp, and lobsters caught by their sons while boating on a lake or sailing through the Florida Keys. On their sailboats, the Actonia and Yankee Girl, she was Rush’s “first mate and last mate.” On land, she supported all her men, becoming the biggest Miami Hurricanes, Florida Gators, and Miami Dolphins fan ever, with her gear, and keeping everyone up on the latest successes! She also responded calmly, most of the time, to the care of every animal that was either bought, brought, crawled, fell from the trees, or was secretly placed in her home.

In Miami, in the late 1990’s God blessed Ellie with a second caring husband, for just over 20years, who also loved Jesus as his Lord and Savior, the late Harold E. Grubbs. Harold added to Ellie’s family with his four adult children, David and his wife, Kris; Dan and his daughter, Janna and her husband, Jonathan, with their children Jadon and Jace Valor; Donna and Robin, with their three children, Steve and his wife Bekah, their children, Mercy and Caleb; Julia; and Philip and his wife, Mercy; and Harold’s youngest son, the late Richard Grubbs. Both families were members of the same church in Miami while raising their children.

Ellie and Harold later moved to San Antonio, to be near her sons, Roger, with his wife, Cathy, both in Seminary, down the road in Fort Worth, and Doug, as a trainer at Sea World of Texas in San Antonio. The Grubbs later moved to the Midlands of South Carolina to finish out both their lives with members of both of their families, over time.

Ellie enjoyed sharing long walks with Harold and their common love for needlepoint, which was displayed throughout their home. They ministered together through their choir participation. She loved singing praises to God in church choirs in Miami, FL; San Antonio, TX; and Lexington, South Carolina. One of her treasured choir moments was getting to sing in a Billy Graham Crusade choir held in San Antonio. She also became an avid fan of the Spurs, living in town during their multiple National Championship accomplishments!

A Homegoing Celebration Memorial will take place on Saturday, November 1, 2025, at Lexington Baptist Church, 308 East Main St., Lexington, SC 29072, in their Chapel, at 4:00 p.m. Family will be available at 3:30 pm for an informal visitation.

The family of Ellie, “Mom”, “Gigi”, especially want to thank all who cared for her, including those who have been prayer supporters. Thank you to those who also shared incredible points of wisdom with Roger, as her main caregiver, during these last five years of her life, in senior care living centers in Columbia, Florence, and Saluda.

If you want to know and experience the passionate faith of Ellie, please check this site at the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Billy Graham’s Peace with God: https://peacewithgod.net

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Elberta Cousins Acton Grubbs Obituary | Altogether

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