Ellen Grove, née Schumacher, passed away Aug. 5, 2020 at Coupeville, Wash. She had celebrated her 86th birthday in December 2019.

Ellen was born in south central North Dakota in December 1933, the 11th of 12 children born to Adolph and Magdelena, née Roessler, Schumacher.

Ellen grew-up at Jamestown, N.D. She graduated from high school there in 1952. After graduation Ellen was employed as an ‘operator’ for the local telephone company. In 1956 she married Herbert Wagner. Most of her subsequent life was spent as a homemaker.

Herbert’s job took him and Ellen to New York State, New Mexico, Wyoming, California, and, eventually, Oak Harbor, Wash. Ellen arrived at Whidbey Island in 1966. Her marriage to Herbert was dissolved in 1980.

In 1985, at Oak Harbor, she married Donald Grove, a retired Navy master chief. In the earlier years of their 35-year marriage, Ellen and Don enjoyed traveling by car to places in Nevada, California, Florida, Tennessee, upstate New York, and visiting relatives and acquaintances in North Dakota. They both enjoyed bowling, and were members of leagues at various times both at the Navy’s Ault Field bowling center, and Oak Bowl in Oak Harbor.

Ellen participated in many bowling tournaments in cities and towns all around Washington state.

Ellen was a life-member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Ladies’ Auxiliary.

Ellen’s 11 siblings all pre-deceased her. She is survived by her husband, Don, and daughter, Patricia, both in Oak Harbor; son, Robert, in Nevada; stepson, Raymond, in Raymond, Wash.; three grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. She will be missed by many.