Ella Mae Mitchell

Our beloved Mother and Grandmother, Ella Mae Mitchell, 90, passed away on January 23, 2022.  She was born in Roberts, Idaho, on October 26, 1931, to Lyle Fredrick Browning and Gertrude Lovina Winters.  When she was 2 years old, her mother died.  Her great-grandparents, George and Lucy Adams stepped in to care for her and her older sister Shirley. When she was 4 years old, her father married Velma Charlotte Harmon, and the family was reunited. Her siblings are Shirley Bridges (deceased), Marie Strong, Lyle Harmon Browning, Royce Browning(deceased) and Ted Browning.

Ella Mae grew up in Annis, Idaho, near Rigby.  She attended school in Idaho Falls the first three grades.  When her family moved to Annis, she attended 4th through 8th grade at the Annis School; she was the catcher on the girls’ softball team, enjoyed music, and was in the school plays.  She then attended Midway High School where her favorite subjects were Math and English.  She  was the drum majorette in the marching band her senior year and she played the bass drum in the pep band for a couple years. She was also the senior class president. Her first job after high school was in the bakery at Albertson’s in Idaho Falls. 

On August 19, 1950 she married William Norman Surerus at her parent’s home in Annis. Together they had two children, Susan (Gary) Carter and Barbara (Bill) Cook.  They honeymooned in Glacier National Park and built a happy home together.  Ella Mae’s first priority was family and she spent many years as a homemaker, caring for her family.  She was involved in the PTA, pinochle club, and enjoyed bowling and golf.  The family enjoyed many fun adventures, special vacations, camping at Palisades Reservoir and skiing in the winter.

Ella Mae was always friendly and happy.  This brought many wonderful friends into her life.  She was a strong, vibrant, confident woman who genuinely cared about others and she always found a way to remain true to herself. 

Her sweetheart, Bill, passed away on April 26, 1969, from a fatal heart attack.  A few years later Ella Mae married Donald Mitchell; they later divorced.  After Bill died, Ella Mae went to work for Farmers Insurance, then worked the bulk of her career at Idaho Bank &Trust (which later became KeyBank). She filled secretarial roles in the Trust Department, then the Treasurer’s and Marketing departments. After retirement, Ella Mae spent many winters in Overton, Nevada, enjoying warm temperatures, new friends and new adventures.

Ella Mae is survived by her sister, Marie Strong, brothers Lyle Harmon (Nancy Clark) Browning, and Ted (Ramona) Browning; daughters, Susan (Gary) Carter and Barbara (Bill) Cook; grandchildren Michelle Ellis, Kabi Catalano, Brad (Amanda) Cook, Jennifer (Adrian) Buck, Sabine (Dave) Rilling, Michael (Denise) Carter; great grandchildren: Nick Ellis, Ethan Buck, Brent Cook, Teegan Cook, Haley Buck, Jakob Cook, Porter Buck, Kayla Cook, Cavan Buck, Courtney Carter, Amanda Rilling, Lindsey Carter, and Tanner Rilling. She is preceded in death by her husband, Bill, parents, Lyle, Gertrude, and Velma, sister, Shirley, brother, Royce, granddaughter Marnie Cook, father-in-law and mother-in-law Loftus Surerus and Violet Surerus and most of her sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law.

Our family would like to thank the wonderful teams at Quinn Meadows and Heritage Hospice Care  for their loving care and many acts of kindness shown to Mom.

Cremation care entrusted to Wilks Funeral Home.  A private family celebration of life will  be held at a later date, and she will be buried alongside the love of her life in the Annis Little Butte Cemetery.

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