Ellen Athey

Ellen Athey, age 81, of Ortonville, MN, died on December 27, 2019. Funeral services will be held on Friday, January 3, 2020, at 10:00 a.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church in Clinton. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the funeral service at the church. Burial will be at Clinton City Cemetery.

On June 24, 1938, Ellen Marie (Redepenning) Athey was born to Gilbert and Roma (Crusoe) Redepenning in Madison, MN.  Ellen graduated from Marrietta High School. On December 6, 1958, Ellen was united in marriage to Donald William Athey. They were blessed with six children: Debra, Tammy, Jeffery, Duane, Roxanne and Lisa. Ellen was a proud farm wife and mother. She loved cooking and baking for her family, especially her fried chicken and apple pies. Ellen enjoyed bringing meals to the field during planting and harvest time. She even jumped in to milk cows when she was needed.

The family enjoyed Sunday trips to Grandma and Grandpa Redepenning’s house. The ride was always so special as we sang songs all the way there. Being a 4-H mom was one of Ellen’s favorite things to do with her children. Helping with sewing, crafting, gardening, and canning kept her very busy with six children in 4-H. Gardening and canning were her favorite things to do, and she loved that she could teach her children this craft.

A farming accident took the family from the farm in 1977. Ellen then worked as a CNA and did housekeeping for the doctors that lived in Clinton. Ellen loved to play BINGO with the nursing home residents and sing Christmas songs. Country music was her favorite. Church was a very important part of family life. She was a member of Holden Lutheran Church in Beardsley, MN. After leaving the farm and moving to Clinton, Ellen became a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Clinton, MN.

The greatest joy in Ellen’s life were her fifteen grandchildren and twenty-one great-grandchildren. She would always want to talk about what they were up to and how they were doing.

Ellen passed away on December 27, 2019, at the age of 81 years, six months and three days at Fairway View in Ortonville, MN.

Left with her loving memory are her children: Debra and Rick Stallman of Ortonville, MN; Tammy and Joe Stallman of Beardsley, MN; Jeffrey of Clinton, MN; Dewey and Maxine Athey of Milbank, SD; Roxanne and Terry Sigler of Clinton, MN; and Lisa and Curtis Peterson of Beardsley, MN; 15 grandchildren; and 21 great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her siblings: Gary (Betty) Redepenning, Gilbert (Cheryl) Redepenning, Eileen (Herman) Haas, Doug (Annette) Redepenning, and David (Pat) Redepenning.

Ellen was preceded in death by her husband, Donald; parents: Gilbert and Roma Redepenning; and siblings: Dennis Redepenning and Audrey Weir; and one great-grandchild, Brooklyn Schmieg.