Frances Lois Ely 1918-2015

Frances Lois Ely, 96, passed away peacefully on April 14, 2015 at her home, The Courtyard in Colfax, Washington. Frances was born May 31, 1918 to William and Margaret Hereth Tuengel in Snohomish, Washington. The family farmed in the area, so Fran learned many of the arts of home making from her mother, and generously passed those skills along –– baking, cooking, canning, knitting, gardening, and a strong sense of self-reliance. In her kitchen hung a plaque with her motto "I will do it myself.'' And that she did, with grace and good humor.

She met Everett Charles Ely when they both worked at Everett Pulp and Paper Company in Everett, Washington in 1940. Her mother had given her some advice: marry a man who is nice to his mother. When she saw how kind Everett was to his mother, she knew she had found her future husband. They were married in 1941 and made their home in Snohomish. They moved to Cashmere during WWII where Everett was employed by a fruit packing company as an accountant.

They moved back to Snohomish after the war, and opened Ely Hardware in 1948, which they operated together until they retired in 1978, making it into one of those venerable meeting places where you could always get help with what you needed, credit when you were a little short, and plenty of friendly chats. During those years they both worked hard at the store, but Frances was always home by the time their two children got home from school.

After closing the hardware store in 1978, both became active as councilors for the Small Business Administration's SCORE program. They traveled the state in all seasons to assist people in a variety of independent business operations, and occasionally helped families reestablish themselves following floods and other natural disasters.

In 1996, Frances and Everett moved to Portland, Oregon to be closer to family. In 2001, Frances moved to Colfax, Washington with her son and daughter-in-law, where she made many friends at Hill Ray Plaza's infamous "Table 1." In Colfax, she turned her love of knitting to the good of the community, making many hats, booties, mittens, and blankets for charity.

Frances was preceded in death by her husband Everett in 1999, and her two brothers. She is survived by her son Timothy (Ann) Ely, Colfax, WA, and her daughter Margo (Larry) Gerbrandt, San Juan Bautista, CA, two grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

A private family service will be held at a later date. Memorial contributions in Frances' honor are suggested to the Snohomish United Methodist Church, Snohomish, Washington.