Susanna Freymark
About 400 friends and family farewelled Allan Walter Ellis at a service at the Casino Showground today, Wednesday, August 13.
Snow, as he was known to friends, was born on February 29, 1932. He died at the age of 93.
Snow was the second child in a family of eight to parents Allan Ellis and Annie Langbeane of Casino.
As a young fellow, the family moved often, trying their hand at different ventures from share farming to running a banana farm.
Snow’s love and passion for farming was shaped by those childhood years and the hardworking example set by his parents.
Snow and Marie married and began their life together in Loadstone where Snow worked driving a timber truck, carting logs for twelve months.
In those early days, they lived humbly making the most of what they had.
Before long, they moved to Bean Creek and had three children — Narelle, Darryl, and Cheryl.
For the next thirteen years, Snow and Marie worked hard share farming for Fred Murphy at Bean Creek, Old Bonalbo.
Life was far from easy. Every day they carted cream on a slide out to the road — sometimes for several kilometres — to meet the cream lorry.
They lived off grid, relying on a generator, and ran the dairy with a stationary motor. The fresh milk went to the pigs once the cream was separated off and sent to the butter factory.
There were fond memories of hand-feeding calves with molasses and boiling the billy after long hours of work.
They did it tough. The cream cheque often barely covered a few groceries, and even then they sometimes had to pay it off later.
From Bean Creek the family moved to Tregeagle to Patches Farm. It was here that Snow extended the small piggery, mixing all the concrete by hand.
Their journey then took them to Tunglebung where they moved into bulk milking.
The hard work began to pay off, and before long, they were able to save enough to put a deposit on a small property at Edenville.
The opportunity came for them to buy their dream property at Fairy Hill. Life was good to them there.
For the first time, they were able to make a decent living — prospering through strong pig prices, healthy beef cattle, and Snow’s deep knowledge and skilful management of the land. 
Their home became a place filled with treasured memories for their children and grandchildren, whose days were spent riding motorbikes, building cubby houses in the big old fig trees, playing countless games on the pool table, and spending hours splashing and laughing in the swimming pool.
It was more than just a property — it was a home.
Snow spent the last 30 years of his life on his small farm at Fairy Hill where he enjoyed retirement surrounded by the things he loved most — especially spending countless hours mucking around with his dogs.
This was a true passion for him, one that brought him immense joy and companionship.
He was a life member and founding member of the North Coast Working Cattle Dog Association.
Snow was a top class cattle dog trialler and trainer, known not only for his skill but also for his generosity as a mentor and friend to many in the community.
For many years, he set the benchmark for cattle dog trialling, helping to guide the sport from a novelty event at the Bonalbo Show into a nationwide pastime enjoyed by thousands.
Over the years, Snow was also known for a unique and valued talent — water divining. His ability to sense and locate underground water was a gift he shared, reflecting his close bond with the land and the practical wisdom he carried throughout his life.
Snow was a dearly loved father, pop, grandfather, and great-grandfather to many.