July 5, 1912 – May 27, 2010


Mary G. Ellis passed away Thursday, May 27, 2010, at AngelsGrace Hospice in Oconomowoc at the age of 97. A lifelong resident of Waukesha, she was born in Ridgefield, Ill., the daughter of the Rev. Charles and Edith (nee Murphy) Giesselbrecht.

After receiving her degree at Carroll College, she earned a master’s degree from Columbia University in 1940. Mary taught high school English and reading for years in the Waukesha School District. In 1946, she married a fine man, Roy Ellis, who passed away in 1959.

Mary was a caring, independent woman, with a bright mind, great sense of humor, and a genuine interest in every life she touched. She filled her retirement years with volunteer work through RSVP and assisting her friends. She especially loved working with mothers and children at St. Joseph’s Clinic, and chance encounters with former students who remembered her.

She will be missed by her family, which includes nieces, Susie Kroseberg of Oconomowoc, Judy Nettesheim of Wauwatosa and Anne (John) Walsh of Boston. She was also loved by their sons and daughters, Bill (Sheila) Kroseberg, Betsy Kroseberg, Gunnar Kroseberg, Sarah (Brandon) Hall, Peter Nettesheim and Matthew and Kate Walsh, as well as great-great nieces and nephews Molly, Emily and Brian Kroseberg, Hudson Llanas, Hunter Kroseberg and Cooper Hall. She was preceded in death by her sisters and brothers-in-law Helen (Don) Huddleston and Carol (Rad) Radewan and nephews Bill Kroseberg and Pat Nettesheim.

A private family service will be held at Prairie Home Cemetery with the Rev. Dee Talley presiding. Memorials may be made to First Presbyterian Church, 810 N. East Ave., Waukesha, WI 53186, or AngelsGrace Hospice, N359-N7430 Brown St., Oconomowoc, WI 53066 or St. Joseph’s Medical Clinic, 826 N. East Ave., Waukesha, WI 53186. For further information, please call Randle-Dable Funeral, Cremation and Preplanning Services at 547-4035, or go to www.waukeshafunerals.com to leave an online tribute.

The family extends special thanks to Dr. Gerald Berman, Dr. Robert Waite, the dedicated staff and volunteers at AngelsGrace Hospice and friends Dawn Laguna and Jadwiga Bedlechowicz.