CAT Tracks Editor's Note: This post was updated on January 21st to include coverage by The Cairo Citizen.

Received word yesterday that the Wednesday edition of the Southern Illinoisan had a front-page story about Tuesday night's candlelight vigil for Tommy Ellis. Went to their archives...

From the Southern Illinoisan

Church, school communities pray for deacon, coach

BY TOM BARKER
THE SOUTHERN

CAIRO - A community came together Tuesday evening to pray and show support for a man who has touched many lives through his roles as a coach, church leader and friend.

More than 100 Cairo-area residents gathered Tuesday at Mount Moriah Baptist Church to have a candlelight vigil and prayer service for Tommy Ellis, head basketball coach at Cairo High School and a deacon in the church.

Ellis suffered a major stroke Dec. 18 and has since been slowly recovering at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau.

"The community just loves this man, and they're all wishing him well," said Sheena Neely, music teacher for Cairo schools who helped organize the service. "We're just here tonight to intercede on his behalf and try to encourage the family."

Fluorescent bulbs were dimmed and ceremonial candles were lit as the church members, school employees and students joined together to sing in worship and pray for Ellis.

A few of Ellis' family members, including wife, Linda, were also present at the vigil, receiving gestures of support throughout the service.

Grady Floyd, another deacon at Mount Moriah Baptist, has spent much time visiting Tommy Ellis in the hospital and said Ellis' condition is apparently improving.

"I saw more movement out of him Sunday than I have since he's been in there," Floyd said. "He is coming back to us."

Floyd said Ellis has not yet spoken or even opened his eyes since the stroke, but Ellis is otherwise responding to family and friends around him, squeezing visitors' hands and smiling when spoken to.

Floyd said Ellis is loved by all who know him and described him as someone who would get up in the middle of the night to help a complete stranger.

"Tommy is a very valuable person here, with the church and with the school," Floyd said. "I'm very hopeful that the Lord's going to do the job that's necessary and bring him back to us, and he'll be right back up there in front of this church doing his thing."

From the January 21st edition of The Cairo Citizen