Ellen Irene Grunewald

She was the oldest child and only daughter of Wilhelm Schmunk and Susanna Lickfers Schmunk, both of Germany. Ellen went to school in Germany and later started working for a fur company. She moved to the United States in 1963 and soon thereafter met the love of her life in New York, Robert Henry Grunewald. They were married in April 1965 and spent most of the next twenty-eight years in New York.

Ellen enjoyed ceramics, writing cards and letters, going to church, reading the Daily Bread and visiting with friends. She was a member of Grace Baptist Church in Highland Falls, New York for many years, where she accepted Christ as her Lord and Savior in 1975.

Ellen would later move to Fargo, North Dakota in June 1993. She was a member of the Community Baptist Church in Fargo for thirty-nine years, volunteering in the nursery and the kitchen. She enjoyed spending time with the little children. While living in Fargo, Ellen worked for Tammy's Angels where she sat with the elderly, helped them with the day-to-day things and was a great inspiration to many seniors. She also spent time working at a Senior Center, serving lunch and dessert, while enjoying time spent with the elderly. Ellen eventually lived in a senior community in her later years and again found joy visiting with others. In 2022, she moved to Bossier City, Louisiana and enjoyed being closer to family.

Ellen was preceded in death by her husband Robert "Bob" Grunewald, daughter Susanna, son Robert, her mother Susanna Schmunk, father Wilhelm Schmunk, brother Wilfred Schmunk and other friends whom she considered family.

Ellen is survived by her son Peter Grunewald (Bossier City,LA), Daughter-in-Law Kim Grunewald (Bossier City, LA), Granddaughter Abbigail (Denton, Texas), Granddaughter Madeline (Shreveport, LA), family members in Germany and other family members and friends in the states.

There will be a graveside scheduled for a later date that will take place on the grounds of Hillside Cemetery, West Chester County, Peekskill, New York.