Ella Williams, of Montevideo, died Tuesday, May 10, 2016 at Luther Haven Nursing Home in Montevideo at the age of 94.
Memorial services will be held on Saturday, May 14 at 10:30 AM at Our Saviors Lutheran Church in Montevideo with Rev. Donald S. McKee officiating. Interment will be in the Granite Falls Cemetery. Visitation will be one hour before the services at the church.
Ella Marion (Ockwig) Williams was born on July 2, 1921 in Renville County, MN to Christian and Emma (Viken) Ockwig. She was baptized into the Christian faith at Wang Lutheran Church, rural Maynard MN and was confirmed at Saaron Lutheran Church, rural Montevideo, MN. She graduated from Granite Falls High School in 1938.
Ella was united in marriage to Juel G. Williams at Saaron Lutheran Church parsonage on December 10, 1940. Juel & Ella were blessed with five children. They farmed until 1952 when they moved to Seattle Washington. They also lived in Ironwood, MI, Neenah, WI, Granite Falls, MN and Wood Lake, MN where they owned and operated the Gambles Store. Ella did bookwork for the store and also worked for Rogers Hydraulics in Granite Falls. She retired when she was 62 and remained a lifetime member to the Steel Workers Union. She belonged to the Eastern Star and Rebecca’s.
Ella and Juel spent several years as snowbirds in Yuma, AZ. They enjoyed prospecting in the desert, ice fishing, boating, camping, traveling, and exploring. When she was widowed, she moved into Henry Hill Apartments and spent the next several years indulging her love of reading, card playing and traveling to visit with family and friends. In the fall of 2000 she moved to Montevideo to live with her daughter, Rosemary. In 2010 she became a resident at Luther Haven Nursing Home and spent the remainder of her life there. Throughout her life she was an excellent example to her family and friends of living her Christian faith. She was understanding, unfailingly kind, patient and forgiving. She was intelligent, multi-talented, loved solving puzzles and had a sharp wit with a ready smile.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Juel; sons, Charles and Gary; son-in-law, Michael Sweet; grandson, Andrew Williams, granddaughter, Melanie Sweet; brothers, Ervin and Paul Ockwig, and sister, Edna Sandberg;
Ella is survived by her children; James & Kathie Williams, Rosemary Sweet, Brian & Kathy Williams, Montevideo, MN; daughters-in-law, Lynn Williams, Chaska, MN and Mary Williams, Apple Valley, MN. She also loved 14 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren, 2 great-great-granddaughters and 38 nieces and nephews.