Ellen Elizabeth Gatter

Ellen Elizabeth Setchell Barker Gatter passed into the arms of our heavenly father on Friday September 11, 2015 at 4:45 am at the age of 97. She was born to William Ashbolt Setchell and Sarah Luella Chapman Setchell on Friday the 13th of March, 1918 on a farm in Clay County, Kansas. She was the second child and only girl in the family. The Bill Setchell family moved to Ashland, Oregon in 1937 from Kansas when the dust bowl took their farm. They purchased a ranch on the Dark Hollow Road and joined the First Methodist Church in Ashland. Ellen graduated from Ashland High School with the class of 1938. She met Raymond Clay Barker (born on April 20, 1917 who graduated with the AHS class of 1936) when he was working for the Mt. Ashland Creamery. They married on November 3, 1940 in the Ashland Methodist Church. Ray was drafted into WW2 and sent to Florida to be a Navy airplane mechanic. Ellen followed on a train with their baby daughter, Linda Rae, born March 7 1943. When the war was over they returned to Ashland, welcomed their daughter Marilyn Susan, June 29, 1946 and built a little home at 101 Pine Street with the help of their fathers and brothers. Ray continued to work for the Mt. Ashland Creamery until they purchased the creamery in 1950 and welcomed their son Richard William, September 6, 1953. They ran the creamery until 1955 when Ellen became one of the first women realtors in Ashland and Ray worked as a FHA/VA, Jackson County Tax appraiser, eventually becoming the Assessor. They moved to Medford to be closer to the court house, where Ray worked and Ellen became a real estate broker. She opened her own real estate office, Oregon Southgate Real Estate. Ray and Ellen purchased a small farm in Central Point and began raising and showing Tennessee Walking Horses. Ellen was a Tennessee Walking Horse Champion in the 1960’s with her horse, Merry Midnight Sun, who was a Pacific Coast champion. Ray won often with his horse, Schultzy. Ray had two open heart valve replacement surgeries in the 1960’s and died having his third on February 21, 19070 at the age of 52. Ellen married Fred Gatter several years later. Fred was the Potentate for the State of Oregon Shriners. They enjoyed life together until he developed Alzheimer’s. She cared for him until he passed away from this dread disease after suffering with it for several years. Ellen lived alone for more than 26 years until she began to have falls that put her in the hospital and then in Hearthstone Rehab and Nursing Care Center, where she spent her last year under the amazing care of the staff and her daughter Linda and son in law Dale who were there almost everyday. Staff members came into her room to say good-bye in her final days even though many had transferred to other jobs. One of the nurses told Linda that if Ellen was not happy about something she would say “I’m going to call my daughter Linda” and she did. Ellen was preceded in death by her parents, her brothers Charles Clayton, John Edward (Jack) and Lewis Russell (Bud) Setchell, her husbands Ray Barker and Fred Gatter. Ellen is survived by her children Linda Barker Monroe (Dr. Dale Alvin), Marilyn Barker Horton, (Michael Way), Richard Barker, step-daughter Gail Marilyn Gatter Tycer (Lew). Her grandchildren Dr. Steven Douglas Monroe (Christine Joy), Robert Michael Monroe, (Lasma Duma Raya), Todd Patrick Monroe, (Kimberly Anne), Debra Dawn Horton Rohde (Michael), Marc Raymond Monroe, Holly Michelle Horton Miltimore (Nick), Nicholas William Barer, Chris Tycer Moretta (John) and Tony Lewis Tycer. Great-grandchildren Caleb Jeremy Brandon Monroe (Cesilia), Kyle Nicholas Andrew Monroe (Elizabeth MaryJane), Jessica Rae Monroe, Jacquelyn Renae Monroe Boyl-Davis (Martin Anthony), Jordan Brooks Monroe, Colton Patrick Monroe, Dylan Michael Rohde, Clayton Barker, Haley Rose Miltimore, Rachel and Lizzy Moretta, and Marilyn, Matthew, Sarah and Jonathan Tycer. Ellen was the last of her Setchell generation and is also survived by the children of her cousins and her sister-in-law, Lewis’s widow, Evelyn (Auntie Lynn) Gilmore Setchell Belgum (Dick) The family will have a gathering of Loved Ones at her Graveside. Ellen wanted to attend her own service so Linda arranged a family communion service on August 4th for her with their Ashland Methodist Church Pastor Rev Phillip Antilla at her bedside. Memorials may be made to the Provey Stained Glass Window and Plexiglas restoration fund at the First United Methodist Church 175 N Main Street, Ashland, Oregon 97520