Ellen Irene Little

Ellen Irene Little, was born Ellen Irene Schmutz to the late John Michael Schmutz and Ellen Louise Schmutz in Philadelphia PA, on July 25th 1933. Ellen had two siblings who preceded her in death; her sister Doris and brother Jack.

During the early years, the entire family traveled along the east coast of the United States. They were a US Navy family, following their father to various locations. From Lighthouse duties on Thatcher Island in Massachusetts, to Saint Thomas, US Virgin Islands.

They would return to Philadelphia at the beginning of World War-II and lose their father soon after his submarine was sunk just a month after the war had started.

After high school graduation, Ellen joined the United States Navy Nurse Corps during US involvement in the Korean War. While stationed at the San Francisco Naval Hospital, Ellen met her future husband, Fred Little, who preceded Ellen in death in mid-January of 2003.

After leaving military service, Ellen raised three children / hooligans, with what can only be described as the “Patience of a Saint”, while her husband Fred was off fighting our nation's wars and conflicts, around the globe.

Ellen attended night school during this time, ultimately continuing nursing for many years and retiring from the Veterans Administration hospital.

Ellen is best described by her children and loving family, as the “ROCK” and the “GLUE” that held her loving family together through many of life’s expected and unexpected challenges.

Never one to sit idle, Ellen always found time to take her children camping in the wilderness and taught them all how to survive as well as to boat/canoe & swim.

In her later years, she took up scuba diving and traveled outside the US to visit and enjoy many scuba diving sites and attained multiple dive certification levels.

Ellen passed away peacefully into God's arms while in her sleep at home in Peyton, Colorado in June of 2025. Ellen was just a month shy of her 92nd birthday and was surrounded by loving family members at her passing.

Ellen is survived by her two sons, a daughter and two daughters-in-law; Fred S. Little, and Jean Little, of Central Florida, John M.P. Little and Cynthia Little, of Northern Idaho, Maryellen Little of Meridian Idaho.

Her grandchildren, Robert & Lisa Kabel, Amiee’ & Travis Herman, Jarod Little, Nicole & Chance Hill. Ellen also has four beautiful great-grandchildren; Jonas, Merari, Melea, & Lucas.