Mary Ellen Coffelt

Mary Ellen was born at Exeter Hospital in Exeter, CA on March 31, 1949 to JB and Frances Coffelt. The family lived in Ash Mountain (in Sequoia National Park). Mary Ellen attended Three Rivers elementary school from Kindergarten through Eighth grade. During this time, Mary Ellen spent summers at Wolverton and Winters at Ash Mountain with her family. After Eighth grade, Mary Ellen attended Ninth grade at Belmont at Notre Dame.

After her Ninth grade year, the family moved to Victorville, CA, where Mary Ellen attended Tenth and Eleventh grade at Victorville High School. After her Eleventh grade year, the family moved from Victorville, CA to Lemoore, CA where Mary Ellen finished her Twelfth grade year. After graduating from high school, Mary Ellen moved to Fresno, CA, where she attended Fresno City College for accounting/bookkeeping. Mary Ellen began her career as an accountant/bookkeeper in insurance in Fresno.

In 1981, Mary Ellen gave birth to her daughter Sara Jan Coffelt in Fresno and in 1988, Mary Ellen and Sara Jan moved to Visalia, where Mary Ellen also worked as an accountant/bookkeeper for many years. Mary Ellen retired from the City of Visalia Solid Waste, her final place of employment, in 2017.

While living in Visalia, CA, Mary Ellen was an active member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church and an active member of St. Mary’s Catholic Daughters. Included in her time with Catholic Daughters, Mary Ellen held several offices. Additionally, Mary Ellen also was an active member of St. Mary’s Altar and Rosary Society. In her spare time, Mary Ellen enjoyed family get-togethers, reading, gardening, and traveling.

Mary Ellen is survived by her daughter Sara Jan and her 4 siblings Kenny and Bernadine Coffelt (in Oregon), Jan and Garry Beutler (in Porterville, CA), Roberta Williams (in Texas), and Stanley Coffelt (in Tennessee). She is preceded in death by her parents JB and Frances Coffelt and her sister Phyllis Lieb.

A funeral Mass will be held on Thursday, April 27th, 2023 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church at 10:30 am. Following the Mass, Mary Ellen will be buried at Visalia cemetery. Following, there will be a a luncheon and time of visiting at St. Mary’s Catholic Church Junipero Serra Center.