Ethel Minnie (Jenkins) ROSS

JENKINS, ROSS, PRENZLER, KURTH, OSHAUGHNESSY, MCDANIEL, MILLER, HARRINGTON, STRAIN, DARBY, GAPPA, SIMPSON, DICKEY, WILSON

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 6/19/2012 at 19:29:56

December 18, 1922 ---- June 14, 2012

Ethel M. Ross, 89, of Rochester, formerly of Byron, died Thursday, June 14, 2012, at Shorewood Commons in Rochester, where she has resided for the past five years.

Ethel Minnie Jenkins was born Dec. 18, 1922, in Belmond, Iowa, to William S. and Annette (Prenzler) Jenkins. She was raised in Belmond and graduated from high school there in 1940. On Jan. 25, 1941, she married Raymond O. “Ray” Ross in Heartland. Mr. Ross died on Aug. 8, 2007. She lived in Belmond while her husband served in the U.S. Army. The couple lived in Dows, Iowa before moving to Iowa Falls, Iowa, where they farmed. In 1958, the couple moved to rural Byron and farmed in Salem Township, Olmsted County. Ethel worked for the Rochester Public School System before working as an executive secretary for the Kahler Hotels for many years. After her retirement, she worked as a secretary for the Byron United Methodist Church, and then, as a secretary at Ross Designers & Manufacturing (RDM) of Minnesota, owned by her son, Dennis.

She was a member of Byron United Methodist Church, where she was active in Women’s Circles, the National Secretaries Association, the Social Neighbors Club, and the Sumner R. Hair American Legion Post 119 Auxiliary. Ethel enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, needlework, gardening and traveling.

Survivors include five children, Lanny Ross of Sargeant, Barb (Jim) Kurth of Zumbrota, Dennis Ross (Karen O’Shaughnessy) of Wabasha, Kay Ross (Kent McDaniel) of Rochester and Lynette (Jim) Miller of Pine Island; a brother, Edgar (Ruth) Jenkins of Colorado Springs, Colo.; 10 grandchildren, Steve (Kayla) Ross, Amy Ross (Mitch Harrington), Matt Ross, Collin Strain (Lora Darby), Karla (John) Gappa, Jennifer Kurth, Julia (Selwyn) Dickey, William (Jennifer) Kurth, Cheryl (Jeff) Simpson, and Scott Miller; 24 great-grandchildren; and one great-great grandson. Her parents, husband, and sister, Leona Wilson, preceded her in death.

The funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Monday, June 18, at Byron United Methodist Church, with the Rev. Sharon Nelson officiating. Burial will be in Pine Island Cemetery. Friends may call from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, June 17, at Mahn Family Funeral Home — Rochester Chapel, 1624 37th St. N.W., and one hour before the service at the church. Memorials are suggested to the Mayo Foundation for Alzheimer’s Research, the Alzheimer’s Association, or a charity of the donor’s choice.

Rochester Post Bulletin - Rochester, Minnesota
June 15, 2012