Ellie M. Moss

Ellie was born July 18, 1923. Her mother told her that the day Ellie was born, she milked the cows, turned the separator, fed the calves, and then gave birth to Ellie. Ellie was the 8th child and the 6th daughter born to Etta Jane (Young) and Edward Hugh Bignell. Her siblings were Myrtle, Norman, Roy, Grace, Annette, Florence, Adelia, Edna, and Eddie.

When Ellie was 4 years old several of the children in the family were stricken with the polio virus. They were very ill and their parents took Florence to the hospital where she was misdiagnosed with appendicitis. Florence died at the hospital, so their parents decided to nurse the others back to health on their own.

At 8 years of age, Ellie got glasses. She was so excited to be able to see the individual leaves on the trees and to see the wood clearly while chopping wood for the cook stove.

When Ellie was about 12 years old, it was decided that Adelia, Ellie, Edna, and Eddie would attend a school in Westina. The school was about 7 miles from their home so their Mom took them to school on Sundays and picked them up on Fridays. Adelia usually rode on a wagon or sled because she was more affected by the polio, but the others walked. During the week, they stayed in a small building on the school grounds. The weather would get very cold so they often slept with potatoes in the beds to keep the potatoes from freezing. They were often very frightened and held hands to stay safe.

Ellie loved to work and help her parents. She worked with her dad a lot fixing tractors, hauling hay, working with the horses—whatever needed to be done. She also helped her mom with milking, and caring for the animals. She had a dog named Trixie who helped with herding the sheep.

In the spring of 1947, Ellie decided to leave the ranch and come to United States to visit her sister, Edna, who was married and had a baby. She was able to get a job working in a fruit warehouse. She met Norman (Bud) Moss there. They married shortly after they met because her visitor visa was about to expire and they saw no need to wait longer. Bud was raised in Everett, WA and had only one brother. He was excited to be a part of a large family and they looked forward to having a large family of their own.

They welcomed a daughter into their lives a year after they married. They named her after Ellie’s mom—Ettie. Eager to have more children, a second child was born 17 months later. Unfortunately, she lived only a few days. A third daughter was born 10 months later and she lived less than 2 weeks. At this time, they were told that they should not have any more children. They were devastated and separated for awhile. They got back together and adopted a baby boy in Anchorage, Alaska. They named him, David Norman. They were so happy.

The little baby David was sick often and had to be cared for gently, but he grew and survived. He had some difficulties with motor skills and vision, but was very smart and learned to read at an early age.

When David started school, being a stay-at-home mom was not enough for Ellie, so she and Bud decided to become foster parents. The first child they took in was an infant and Ellie was thrilled to have a baby to hold in her arms. Soon, social workers were calling to see if they could take in older children. Often they had 2 infants and 4-6 older children plus teen-agers as well. Ellie said that all together they had about 450 different foster children. She loved having the foster children and she helped many of them.

In 1963, Bud and Ellie were able to purchase a home of their own. They were very excited to be “home owners” and their home had 2 acres of land with it, so Ellie could return to being a farm girl. They purchased some animals for her to care for and she was able to plant big gardens. She loved her animals and had cows, pigs, rabbits, chickens, ducks, goats, sheep, dogs, and cats. She also occasionally had hamsters, guinea pigs, and birds.

In 1974, Bud passed away as a result of lung cancer. Ellie had never paid a bill, written a check, driven a car, or worked outside of her home. Suddenly, she was on her own and she knew that if she wanted to continue on her little farm she had to learn how to do everything. Her brother-in-law was very patient in teaching her how to drive. She learned how to do her own banking and bill paying. She even got a part time job at Stan’s Merry Mart.

The part time job soon became full time and she worked at Stan’s for many years. She loved her job there. She enjoyed the customers and developed some fabulous friendships with her co-workers.

Ellie loved writing poems and wrote them often. This poem was written for her mother.

THE CLASP OF MY MOTHER’S HAND

Oh Lord thou has come and taken

My mother’s wrinkled old hand in thine

Those hands tell as much dear Jesus

For they served others all the time.

Those dear precious hands how I love them,

Each wrinkle a story can tell.

The hand that caressed me so often

When I scraped a knee or I fell.

Then when I was ill, dear mother,

Those hands knew just what to do.

And somehow when you laid them upon me

The childish pain and cares of this world seemed few.

Then I grew older, dear mother, no more to play at your knee,

I needed those hands darling mother,

To soothe and to comfort when sorrow overwhelmed me,

Then those hands came again to comfort and pat the heartache away.

Those hands lay so still now dearest mother,

As they are folded on your breast,

Each wrinkle to me is a token

Of love and untold sacrifice they served their very best.

Someday I’ll feel again the clasp of your hand dearest mother,

When we walk on that golden shore,

We’ll be so happy, precious Mother,

For in Heaven, there'll be no sorrow or heartache anymore.

After retiring from Stan’s, Ellie spent a year at home alone. She decided it was lonely so she moved in with her daughter. She lived there and enjoyed having lots of family nearby until she fell, broke her neck, and had to go to a skilled nursing facility. She spent the next few years at the facility where she made friends, became a favorite of the staff, and was loved by many. David came to visit as often as he could and Ettie also visited often. She always enjoyed their visits.

As she grew older and weaker, she talked more and more of her own mom and daddy and how much she wanted to be with them. She passed very peacefully from this world to the next and is rejoicing in Heaven with her babies and her family who has preceded her. Those of us left behind will miss her and her indomitable spirit, but we are happy that her pain is gone and she can once again run like the wind.

She leaves behind a son, David Moss, a daughter, Ettie (Moss) Goldy, grandson Jon Goldy (Heather), granddaughter Jamie Samuelson (Kris), grandson Jeff Goldy (Abby), grandson Joel Goldy (Katie), and great grandchildren, Kaitlynn, Brynleigh, Annaliese, Jacob, Harper, Jace, Ellie, Brayden, Mia, and Kya, brother Eddie Bignell (Effie), sister Annette Williams and numerous nieces and nephews.

Arrangements under the direction of Greenwood Funeral Home, Renton, WA.