The Funeral Service for Ethel E. Steele, of
Albert Lea
, will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Tuesday, September 1, 2009 at
Concordia
Lutheran
Church
,
Pickerel
Lake
.
The Reverend Wendy Anderson will officiate.
Interment will be at Concordia
Lutheran
Cemetery
.
Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m.
Monday at Bonnerup Funeral
Service, 2210 East Main, Albert Lea, and one hour before the service at the church.
Ethel died on Friday morning, August 28, 2009 at ThorneCrest Retirement
Community, Health Care Wing where she has been a resident for the past 6 years. She was 88.
She was born on August 18, 1921 in
Foster
Township
,
Faribault
County
, the
daughter of Jessie and Luella (Miller) Urbain.
She attended schools near
Wells, and then began providing domestic help for several area homes.
On November 19, 1942, she married Norman Steele at the
Rice
Lake
Evangelical
Church
.
Together, they lived,
farmed and raised
their family in the Alden, Glenville,
and later the
Albert Lea
area. She enjoyed
gardening, canning and
helping with all aspects of farm work throughout
the years.
Ethel was strong in her faith and had been a very active participant
at
Concordia
Lutheran
Church
,
Pickerel
Lake
.
She served on the Church
Council as financial secretary, was Sunday School Teacher for many years,
and also enjoyed being active with the church women.
Ethel and Norman
were one of the originators of the church’s annual soup and pie supper. With many
helping hands, the tradition has continued for 26 years.
Their specialty soup was
oyster stew.
As her children were growing up she had been very active in the 4-H
as a Key
Leader, as well as a volunteer at the Freeborn County Fair in many capacities,
including working in
the Floral Hall for several years.
After Ethel and Norman “retired”, she resumed house cleaning for various
area homes and businesses.
Ethel loved to “babysit” and spoil her grandchildren, have people over
to visit, and show her love and affection by sharing her awesome home cooking.
Ethel will be greatly missed by her family: children Dennis Steele of Prattville,
AL, Cindy and her husband Allan Wichmann of
Albert Lea
; daughter-in-law
Ginny Steele of
Plymouth
,
MN
; grandchildren: Craig (Nisha) Steele of
Carmel
,
IN
, Kevin (Beth) Steele of
LaGrange
,
IL
, Joseph (Elke) Steele of
Germany
,
Cathy (Billy) Gomes of CA, Colette Eggebraaten of CA., Craig Eggebraaten of CA, Maria (Adam) Schultz of Shoreview, MN, Lisa (Jason) Christianson of
Colorado Springs, CO, Dale Smith and Ashley Smith of Plymouth, MN; great
grandchildren: Madeline and Jessica Steele, Claire and Elise Steele, Steffi Coppock,
MacKenzie, Savannah and Alexandria Steele, Ashjian , Laurel and Makenna Nichols, Caydon Eggebraaten, Ashlyn and Caleb Christianson, great great
granddaughters Lilyanna and Lila Nichols; brother Orville (
Lorraine
) Urbain
of Walters, brother-in-law Merlin Steele of
Albert Lea
, sister-in-law Millie
Steele of Windom, MN and several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Norman, son Gary Steele,
daughter-in-law Carla Steele, sister and brother-in-law Arvilla and Clarence
Anderson, sister-in-law Lois Steele and brother-in-law Lemoyne Steele.
Blessed be her memory!
