Ellen Sather

Ellen R. Sather, 82, Bismarck, died March 14, 2004, in a local hospital. Services will be held at 12:00 noon, Friday, at the Church of St. Anne with the Rev. Ed Wehner officiating. Burial will be in the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM Thursday at Eastgate Funeral Service where a rosary/vigil will begin at 7:00 PM. Visitation will continue for one hour prior to the service at the church. Ellen Rosalie Sather was born on February 9, 1922, on a farm fifteen miles southeast of Devils Lake, ND, in Benson County, to Francis "Frank" John and Ethel Lucy Greb Van Steenvoort. She attended a rural school three miles from the farm for her first eight grades, then attended four years of high school in Crary, ND, graduating in 1940. After high school, she stayed home to help on the farm and take care of her terminally ill father. On September 5, 1953, she was united in marriage to Rictor Sather in Crary, and they farmed near the communities of Crary, Lakota, and Warwick. On July 4, 1954, their son, Jim was born at Devils Lake, ND. In 1957, Rictor and Ellen moved to New Rockford, ND, where Rictor started work in the grain elevator business. On June 25, 1958, a daughter, Lucy was born in New Rockford. In 1959, they moved from New Rockford to Baldwin, ND, where Rictor accepted a job as elevator manager for the PV Company. While they lived in Baldwin, another daughter, Mary, was born on June 3, 1961.The family lived in Baldwin until 1969, when they moved to Alfred, ND, where Rictor took another job as elevator manager. Around 1974, the family moved to Jamestown, ND, and Ellen started working for the Jamestown Hospital in the dietary department where she worked for 11 ¢ years. Ellen and Rictor both retired and continued to live in Jamestown until Rictor was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease and it became hard for them to maintain the home in which they lived. In 1998, they sold their home in Jamestown and moved to Bismarck, ND, to be near two of their children, Jim and Mary. On March 9, 2002, Rictor died in Bismarck. They were members of Jamestown Basilica Catholic Church, and Ellen was an American Legion Auxiliary member. She enjoyed sewing, baking, gardening, woodworking, traveling with her husband, visiting with friends and relatives, and especially loved being around her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She held a very strong belief in God and the catholic church, and always tried to do the right things throughout her life. She was a very honest, patriotic, family oriented and moral person. Ellen held the honor of being the best wife, mother, grandmother, and friend in the world, and will be deeply missed by all. She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, James and Sandra Sather of Lincoln, ND; her two daughters and sons-in-law, Lucy and Dave Barkus of Brookings, SD and Mary and Kevin Lemer of Bismarck; her sister, Frances Crawford of Cavalier, ND; her three brothers and six sisters-in-law, John "Jack" Van Steenvoort of Peerless, MT, George "Bill" and Marie Van Steenvoort of Crary, ND, Stanley and Bernice Van Steenvoort of Alva, OK, MaryAnn Steenvoort of Devils Lake, ND, Pearl Smalaaden of West Fargo, ND, Norma Sather of Oriska, ND, and Aggie Sather of Helena, MT; her seven grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Rictor, one stillborn child, her parents, three brothers, and five brothers-in-law.

Ellen Sather

February 9, 1922 - March 14, 2004