Ella Egstad

Madison-Ella Mae Egstad, age 99, passed away on Thursday, January 26, 2012 at the Willows Nursing Center, Sun Prairie. Ella was born on March 11, 1912 in the Town of Brazeau, WI the daughter of Otto & Mary (Lessor) Klover. She was the 6th youngest of 15 children who grew up in a rural setting. She told stories of working hard and walking 3 miles to school every day. She was united in marriage with Warren Egstad who preceded her in death on July 18, 1969. Ella was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She was affectionately known as "Gramma Eggie". She took great pride in running her household and taking care of her family. Ella will be fondly remembered for her "take charge" demeanor and doing things "her way". She faced challenges head-on with fortitude and assertiveness and her perseverance was remarkable. When her husband died, Ella needed to learn to drive a car at the age of 57. She then worked at General Casualty Insurance Group for eight years. Ella lived at Sawyer Terrace Apartments for 31 years where she had many friends and enjoyed the nightly card and bingo games. At 99 years old, she was living independently and was very self-sufficient, even doing her laundry. She proudly served as a volunteer at St. Mary's Hospital and was awarded a 40 years of service certificate for 10,000 hours of service. Ella was a longtime member of Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church, Madison. Ella will be deeply missed by her four sons and two daughters, James (Kathleen) Egstad, Madison, Bill (June) Egstad, Sun Prairie, Bonnie Jones, Destin, FL, Sandra "Cindy" (Denny) Norin, of Madison, Robert Egstad, Fort Walton Beach, FL and Dennis Egstad, Mt Horeb; 15 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren; her sister, Violet Smits, Green Bay; special niece, Pat Owens; special friend, Doris Anderson; many nieces and nephews. Besides her husband, she was preceded in death by her parents, a son Thomas, 8 brothers and 5 sisters. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Monday, January 30, 2012 at 11:30 a.m. at Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church, 401 S. Owen Drive, Madison with visitation at the church from 10:00 a.m. until the time of service. Burial will follow at Forest Hill Cemetery. A memorial fund has been established in her name. The family would like to extend special thanks to the staff of the Willows Nursing Center, who took such good care of Ella during her final days. Additionally, thanks to the Agrace HospiceCare staff for their care and concern. Mom, you did it your way!



Cress Funeral & Cremation Service

1310 Emerald Terrace

Sun Prairie, WI

www.cressfuneralservice.com