Marjorie Ellestad

November 14, 1930 – March 16, 2018

In the early morning hours of March 16, 2018, our beloved Margie passed peacefully from this world into the loving arms of her Heavenly Father following a long and courageous battle with Parkinson’s disease.

Margie was born in a farmhouse on Nov. 14, 1930, in Bull Moose Township, Cass County, Minn. She was the middle child of nine children born to Ervin J. and Agnes (Brekkestrand) Bradow. Her early years were spent traveling to different farms in the area where her father rented, worked and managed the land. It was here that the family did what was needed to survive off of the land. There was a time when she put her sewing skills to good use; making dresses for herself out of flour sacks. They had a strong family bond and made do with what they had, as did many families in that area at that time.

During her high school years her brother became friends with Gordon Ellestad. Margie knew him from high school, but it wasn’t until later toward the end of high school that a lasting relationship started to evolve. They were married on Dec. 20, 1948 in a small Lutheran church close to home. They were the second couple to be married in that church; the first being Gordon’s brother Vern and his wife Evelyn.

Gordon and Margie continued the farming life together in Minnesota. It was here that Margie learned to milk eight cows by hand each day using a one-legged milking stool.

Margie was proud of her Norwegian heritage. Each Christmas you could find her in the kitchen making lefse that would be shared with family and friends as gifts. She would also make lutefisk for others, but would not eat it herself. It was a standing joke that she once tried to feed it to a cat, and it wouldn’t eat it either.

Margie had many hobbies including quilting, sewing, fishing, gardening, canning, baking, traveling and camping, floral craft and dancing, especially the waltz, and the polka. She will always be remembered for her love of quilt making. She had a great gift for coordinating colors and was a perfectionist. Many family members and friends were blessed with a gift of one or more of her beautiful quilts. She also won many ribbons at the Grant County Fair with her beautiful quilts and sewing. Baking was at the top of the list; no one could resist the homemade bread and cinnamon rolls that she would prepare for family and friends. She grew vegetables each year in her garden, but her pride and joy was her rose garden, her favorite being the Peace Rose.

Her travels with Gordon took her to many places. The two of them made numerous trips back to Minnesota to visit family. They enjoyed wintering in Arizona and spending time with their son, Neil. Many summers were spent in Alaska fishing with their son Kevin and his wife Kristeen and granddaughter Hanna. Margie loved those trips. She caught many salmon, huge halibut and anything else that would bite. She always insisted on bringing in her own fish on matter how big it was. She was also known to catch some huge walleye around Moses Lake.

She enjoyed country music, especially Hank Williams, Loretta Lynn, Waylon Jennings, Willy Nelson and Jan Howard. She also was fond of songs by Anne Murray.

Margie was always her happiest in her own home and loving her family and cooking. She loved her kids and grandkids beyond measure, but more than anything she loved her beloved husband of 69 years, Gordon.

Margie is survived by her husband Gordon, her brother Art and his partner Lois of Port Angeles, Wash., sister Lola Maurer and her husband Melvin of Twin Cities, Minn., Ervin Bradow and his wife Roberta, of Cass Lake, Minn., Russell Bradow, and his wife Judy, of Port Angeles, Wash., Betty Crimmins of Twin Cites, Minn. and Dwayne Bradow and his wife Shirley, of Port Angeles, Wash. She is also survived by her grandson Justin Ellestad of Visalia, Calif., her daughter-in-law Kristeen Ellestad and granddaughter Hanna Ellestad of Anchorage, Alaska, her sister-in-law Evelyn Elllestad of Moses Lake, Wash., nephews Larry Ellestad and wife Sue, Tom Ellestad and wife Marla, both of Moses Lake and niece Alice Fritz of Spokane, Wash. She is also survived by many cousins, nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by their three children Linda (Ellestad) Moore, Neil Ellestad and Kevin Ellestad as well as two grandchildren Aaron and Mallory Moore and a nephew, Roger Ellestad.

A special thank you to Penny Weber, and her caregivers for their kind and loving care in her last months, Dr. Graham for his years of excellent care, and to Pastor Lou Hesse for his compassion, spiritual guidance, and care for the entire Ellestad family.

A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, March 24 at 2 p.m. at Living Word Lutheran Church, located at 2609 W. Broadway in Moses Lake, Washington. A dessert reception will follow.

Arrangements are in care of Pioneer Memorial Services of Moses Lake, Wash.