Ethel Mae Slagell Obituary (1934

Ethel M. Slagell, 88, of Gridley passed away at 10:14 p.m., Thursday, February 9, 2023, at Goldwater Care Facility in Pontiac after a brief stay. A private family burial was held at Waldo Township Cemetery, Gridley, IL on Tuesday, February 14. Ethel's life was all about family, being the third child of ten, the eldest daughter, and raising six children. She was born May 21, 1934, in Fairbury, the daughter of Harry and Sylvia Butler Holland. She married Wallace R. Slagell on March 6, 1955. He died November 6, 1988. She was also preceded in death by her parents, two brothers Sam Holland and Roger Holland, and one sister Donna Bressner. All children survive - sons: Steve (Jane) Slagell of White Lake, MI and Phil Slagell of Watseka; daughters: Elaine Weistart of Oglesby, Connie (Dick) Steffen of El Paso, Colleen Slagell of Pontiac, and Susan (Norm) Carlson of Batavia. Also surviving are three brothers: Gerald Holland of Fairbury, Thomas (Dawn) Holland of Rockford, and Robert (Dee) Holland of Des Moines, IA; three sisters: Patty (Augi) Schmitz of Sarasota, FL, Margie Hohenshell of Bloomington, and Jenny (Wayne) Erber of Chesapeake, VA; seven grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, and three great-great-grandchildren with another on the way. She is also survived by many nieces, nephews and cousins. She graduated from Pontiac Township High School in 1952. She was a member of Prairieview Mennonite Church, formerly Waldo Mennonite Church. She was a secretary at the Livingston County Abstract Company in Pontiac until her retirement in 1999. Her job there inspired her interest in genealogy, which led to her creating Family History books that were treasured by everyone at all the annual family get-togethers. She enjoyed many years volunteering at Meadows Mennonite Home in Chenoa and at the Spare & Share Shoppe in Gridley. She also enjoyed embroidery, sewing, reading, jigsaw and crossword puzzles, and crypto-quips. She always looked forward to lunch gatherings with family, friends and church family. She will always be remembered as living a life all about family, and will be dearly missed by her family, friends and all who knew her. Calvert-Johnson & Froelich Memorial Home in Flanagan assisted the family with arrangements. Memorials may be made to G.E.M.S. in Gridley, the Hope Institute in Springfield, Prairieview Mennonite Church in Gridley, or plant a tree in her memory.