Remembering the life of Ella E. Yanke Nelson…
Funeral services for Ella Yanke Nelson will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 19, 2016 at Ascension Lutheran Church, Albert Lea. The Reverend Mark Boorsma will officiate. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service. Interment will take place at First Lutheran Cemetery in Ellendale.
Ella passed away on Monday, March 14, 2016 in Plymouth, MN. She was 91 years old.
Ella Emma (Ribbe) was born September 19, 1924 in Berlin Township to Louis and Josephine (Fischer) Ribbe. She was baptized at Zion Lutheran Church in Ellendale and confirmed at First Lutheran Church in Ellendale. In 1942, she graduated from Ellendale High School. She received her degree from the Minnesota School of Business in 1943.
Ella worked as the Office Manager’s Secretary at Wilson & Co. in Albert Lea. On April 24, 1946, she was united in marriage to Benjamin Yanke at First Lutheran Church, Ellendale. Bennie passed away in 1964. She was employed by Farmer’s Milling and Elevator in Ellendale until 1966 and as a superintendent’s secretary at Ellendale-Geneva School until her retirement in 1988.Ella was married to Curtis Nelson on October 24, 1987 and moved to Lake Mills, IA. She was employed at Osbeck Insurance and Senior Resources until 2003. Her husband, Curtis passed away in 1998. After his death, she moved back to Albert Lea. There, she was a member of Ascension Lutheran Church where she was a part of Esther Circle and WELCA. She was a member of Naeve Hospital Auxiliary, previously serving on the board as a Treasurer. In her free time, she enjoyed volunteering, golfing, bowling, traveling, and playing cards in her card club.
She is preceded in death by her parents; husband, Benjamin Yanke; second husband, Curtis Nelson; siblings, Leona Mogensen, Alice Yanke, Esther Christensen, Clarence Ribbe, and Orrin Ribbe.
Those left to carry on her legacy include her children, Kathleen (Mac) Middleton of Valencia, CA, David (Peggy) Yanke of Forest Lake, MN, Nancy (Al Gens) Yanke of Coon Rapids, MN, and Julie Brauer of Canyon Country, CA; grandchildren, Michael (Kara) Yanke of Bloomington, MN, James (Cassie) Yanke of Forest Lake, MN, Stephen Yanke of Forest Lake, MN, and Jacob Brauer of Irvine, CA; great-grandchildren, Claire Yanke and Jarvis Yanke.
Memorials are preferred to the Alzheimers Association.
Blessed be her memory!