Ethel Ellsworth

Ethel Stanger Ellsworth, 90, passed away on April 22, 2026 in Columbia, Missouri, after a long battle with both congestive heart failure and dementia. Ethel was born and raised on a potato farm in American Falls, Idaho, and was the fifth in a family of fifteen children. She loved repeating stories of her upbringing, with her parents, 6 brothers and 8 surviving sisters. She told stories of that family often, until the end stages of dementia severely impaired her ability to speak. She was a lifelong member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and served members of her faith in various capacities through the years.

After graduating from high school, Ethel attended Ricks College in Rexburg, ID for one year, and then transferred to Idaho State University in Pocatello, ID, with the intention to major in Elementary Education. Within a year at ISU, she fell in love with a handsome blue-eyed young man, Glenn Merlin Ellsworth. They were married on September 4, 1956. In Salt Lake City, Utah LDS Temple. They returned to and resided in Pocatello, Idaho, while Glenn completed his pharmacist education.

After Glenn's graduation, the Ellsworths moved with their two young sons to Salt Lake City, Utah in 1962, and to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1963, after which two daughters were born to their family. Ethel was a 63-year resident of Las Vegas. In that time, she was a front office manager for many years in a small physical therapy practice. After retirement, she was most happy spending time with family. She and Glenn were "family first," opening their home to their adult children and their families in times of need, during health or job crises. They were also doting grandparents, and often Ethel could be found cross legged on the floor building block towers or domino races when grandchildren were small, whether in her own home or as a visiting granny.

Ethel was a talented seamstress, making numerous clothes for her family, and crafts for family and friends. She also loved reading. She had a a great fondness for all children, and a talent for entertaining little ones, particularly her grandchildren, with games, children's movies, and other pastimes.

Due to the need for constant supervision for advancing memory loss, Ethel moved to Columbia, Missouri in 2016 to reside with her daughter Leslie and her husband and family, until her death. She informally served as a nursery leader for pre-school children up to 3 years of age in her local LDS Ward, until 2019 when physical and cognitive frailties rendered her unable.

Ethel is preceded in death by her parents, Edward Marion Stanger and Mary Ethel Adkins Stanger, her husband Glenn Merlin Ellsworth, and brothers and sisters Afton Grasmick,

Richard Stanger, Ruth Bitton, Lionel "Don" Stanger, Ann Jenkins, Winifred Bower, Kay Stanger, Merrill Stanger, Gordon Stanger, Gail Stanger, Davis Stanger, and Vivian Manning. She leaves behind sisters Elsie Stanger, and Iola (Gary) Stanger; children Mark, Paul (Claudia), Leslie (Keven Cutler) and Amy; grandchildren Tanner (Brittney), Lauren (Zack Frederiksen) and Ian Ellsworth; Amelia and Serena Ellsworth; and Kyle, Bryce, Joshua, and Aubrey Cutler, and great-grandchildren Calcifer Ellsworth, Colton, Elizabeth Frederiksen, and Gabriel Villegas.

A visitation and memorial service will be held in Columbia, Missouri on April 30, 2026 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Memorial Funeral Home Chapel. Funeral services will be held May 9, 2026 at Flamm Funeral Home located at 61 North 1st East Rexburg, ID 83440 with a visitation starting at 11 a.m. and a funeral service starting at 12 p.m., after which will be laid to rest with her husband and eternal companion in the Rexburg, ID Cemetery.

The family would like to thank the Phoenix Hospice Team- Tara, Kayla, Lizzie, and Kim- for their kindness and compassion extended to Ethel during her last two month