Norma Faye Ellanson

In the event of unforeseen technical issues, a recording of the service will appear below.

UPDATED SERVICES - Norma Faye (Stankey) Ellanson, age 82, died Saturday, May 23, 2020 at Oak Terrace Assisted Living in North Mankato.

A Memorial Service will be held at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, May 22, 2021 at Zion Lutheran Church.  Visitation will be from 12:30 p.m. - 2 p.m., Saturday at the church.  Interment in Lake Crystal Cemetery.  In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to the Zion Lutheran building fund, Zion Lutheran scholarship fund or a local food shelf. Lake Crystal Mortuary is assisting the family with arrangements.

(The Service will be live streamed at Norma’s obituary page at https://www.mankatomortuary.com/obituary/norma-ellanson)

Norma was born August 10, 1937, the youngest child of Charles and Elsie (Blasing) Stankey. She was baptized and confirmed at Trinity Lutheran Church in Smith’s Mill. She attended country school and graduated, at the age of 16, from Janesville High School in 1954. After high school, she attended nurse’s training at Mankato State College. In August of 1956, she moved to Lake Crystal to begin her career as an administrative assistant for the Lake Crystal High School.

It was in Lake Crystal where she met and fell in love with Del Ellanson, a local young man who had admired her as he saw her walking to and from work. They were married on June 20, 1959, in Smith’s Mill, in Norma’s home church. Over the next six years, they would add three children to their young family, Scott, Karri, and Kristeen.         

Norma loved her job at the school and worked in that position for over 30 years, taking a hiatus in the 60’s to raise her young children. She retired in 1997. Along with her position at the high school, Norma also worked for Drs. Harry and Paul Smith at their clinic in Lake Crystal, was bookkeeper for Pritchard Oil Co. and worked side by side with her husband, Del, in their service station in Lake Crystal. She was active in many civic and church groups. Community and family were important to both Norma and Del and they were always there to lend a helping hand and support to many, often times anonymously. Norma has been a faithful member of Zion Lutheran Church since 1959.

Left to cherish her memory are her children, Scott (Nancy) Ellanson, Karri (Jeff) Fredericksen, and Kristi (Gary) Grindstaff; grandchildren, Seth (Ellie) Ellanson, Shane Ellanson, Kiera (Joshua) Voelker, Thea (Cody Lillo) Fredericksen, Chelsie Grindstaff, and Ethan (Richelle) Grindstaff; great-grandchildren, Kaiden, Kyarie, Emma, Jacob, and Sawyer; her sister, Marilyn Dimmel; brothers and sisters-in-law, Marvin Kollos, Ed (Judy)Ellanson, Beverly Ellanson, Arleen (David) Nietz,  Myron (Nancy) Ellanson, Robert (Laurie) Ellanson; and many nieces and nephews.

Norma was preceded in death by her husband, Del (2009), her parents; siblings, Irvin (Gladys) Stankey, Herbert (Jean) Stankey, Shirley Kollos, and Audrey (Donald) Sutlief; brothers and sister-in-law, Elmer Dimmel, Dene Ellanson, and James Ellanson.

The Ellanson family would like to express their deep appreciation to Crystal Seasons Assisted Living, Oak Terrace- Autumn Lane, and Mayo Hospice for their loving care of Norma throughout this journey.