Ella Elsie Anderson

Born June 12, 1933

Died October 1, 2016

Mrs. Ella Anderson of Barrhead, Alberta passed away on October 1, 2016 at age 83 following a very brief illness.

Ella had an incomparable zest for life, and she loved sharing that zest with others through her volunteer work and active lifestyle. Farm life in Barrhead was not exciting enough for Ella so in her teens she hitch-hiked to Jasper where she found work for a time, before hitting the road again. Her search for adventure lead Ella to the Yukon where she met the love of her life, Hans (Andy) Anderson.

Ella and Andy settled down in the Yukon and Alaska while raising their son, Kenneth, who was born in 1963. Ella loved her time up North, and was always eager to share stories of her fishing and trapping days and the many characters she met along the way. In 1975 Ella and Andy made the decision to move back to the Barrhead area. She worked at Keir Care Centre for many years, and after retiring continued to volunteer. Ella enjoyed bowling and bingo and she loved travelling - Ella shared many memorable trips over the years with family and friends.

Ella’s zest for life was contagious and she was loved by many. Ella was predeceased by her husband, Andy and son Kenneth, as well as her parents Emil and Albertina Arndt, and brothers Oscar, Emil and Art; Andy’s parents Junius and Gertrude Anderson, and siblings Edna (Alexander) McLeod, Helga (Edward) Pisko, Erik (Caroline) and David (Ruth).

Ella is survived by her brother Edward (Annie), sisters Lily (Eric) Kadatz and Ethel (Ed) Dembinski and sisters-in-law Inge, Tove and Laurie Arndt, as well as Andy’s daughter Sharon (Dennis) Kobliuk and family, and Andy's siblings Gertrude (Jim) Hudson and Peter Anderson. She also leaves to celebrate her memory numerous close nieces and nephews and many very dear friends.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to one of the many charities Ella supported: STARS, Barrhead Healthcare Centre, Cancer Research Society or Canadian Diabetes Association.

A memorial will be held at the Rose Garden Chapel, Barrhead, Alberta on Thursday, October 6 at 7:00 PM. Graveside service will take place Saturday, October 8 at 11:30 AM at the Temple Hill Cemetery, Raymond, Alberta.