Colleen "Tiny" Joan (McCracken) Ernst

Colleen “Tiny” McCracken was born April 10, 1929, in Lincoln Nebraska to Clarence and Elizabeth McCracken. She graduated from Lincoln High School. Following graduation on June 25, 1948, she married her high school sweetheart, Stanley J. Ernst. They were married for 55 years.

Several years after getting married, Stan and Colleen moved west to Lakewood, California with their son, Jerry. After settling in California, she had two more children, David & Nancy. Colleen worked as a Supervisor in the Payroll Department at La Mirada Unified School District and retired in 1972 to stay home and raise her family. She and her family resided in Garden Grove, California for 30 plus years before her final residence in Murrieta, California.

Colleen was a devout Christian who always attended church on Sundays and any other days offered.

She enjoyed the role of being Lead Nursery School Teacher at her home church. During this time, she influenced the lives of countless children and their parents for over 30 years. She also provided in-home daycare for numerous children who were lucky enough to ‘get in’ with Ms. Colleen.

Colleen enjoyed watching Angels Baseball, her beloved Cornhuskers, reciting German passed down from her grandmother, spending quality time with friends and family, but above all she loved her Lord, Jesus Christ.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Stanley Joseph Ernst, her parents Clarence and Elizabeth McCracken, her brother Gerald McCracken, and her infant sister who died at birth.

She is survived by her three children, Jerry Ernst and wife Judy of Murrieta, David Ernst and wife Karen of Yorba Linda, Nancy Ernst Cuccaro and husband Dominic Cuccaro of Haymarket, Virginia; six grandchildren, Wendy Ernst, Aaron Ernst, Matthew Ernst (wife Jessica), Jessica Ernst Kaer (husband Chris), Nicholas Cuccaro, and Maximillian Cuccaro; two great grandchildren, Adaline Kaer, and Lucy Kaer.

Family and friends are invited to celebrate her life on Friday, May 17th. Memorial services will be held at 11:00am at Miller Jones Memorial Park & Mortuary in Menifee, California. Internment and reception immediately following.

“Lieber Heiland mach mich fromm das ich in dem Himmel komm.”

- Loving Savior, grant me entrance into Heaven.